scholarly journals Targeting Stem-loop 1 of the SARS-CoV-2 5’UTR to suppress viral translation and Nsp1 evasion

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Setu M. Vora ◽  
Pietro Fontana ◽  
Valerie Leger ◽  
Ying Zhang ◽  
Tian-Min Fu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protein Synthesis ◽  
Nonstructural Protein ◽  
Host Protein ◽  
Locked Nucleic Acid ◽  
Viral Protein Synthesis ◽  
Stem Loop ◽  
Viral Translation ◽  
Nonstructural Protein 1 ◽  
Host Protein Synthesis

SARS-CoV-2 is a highly pathogenic virus that evades anti-viral immunity by interfering with host protein synthesis, mRNA stability, and protein trafficking. The SARS-CoV-2 nonstructural protein 1 (Nsp1) uses its C-terminal domain to block the mRNA entry channel of the 40S ribosome to inhibit host protein synthesis. However, how SARS-CoV-2 circumvents Nsp1-mediated suppression for viral protein synthesis and if the mechanism can be targeted therapeutically remain unclear. Here we show that N- and C-terminal domains of Nsp1 coordinate to drive a tuned ratio of viral to host translation, likely to maintain a certain level of host fitness while maximizing replication. We reveal that the SL1 region of the SARS-CoV-2 5’ UTR is necessary and sufficient to evade Nsp1-mediated translational suppression. Targeting SL1 with locked nucleic acid antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) inhibits viral translation and makes SARS-CoV-2 5’ UTR vulnerable to Nsp1 suppression, hindering viral replication in vitro at a nanomolar concentration. Thus, SL1 allows Nsp1 to switch infected cells from host to SARS-CoV-2 translation, presenting a therapeutic target against COVID-19 that is conserved among immune-evasive variants. This unique strategy of unleashing a virus’ own virulence mechanism against itself could force a critical trade off between drug resistance and pathogenicity.

scholarly journals Nonstructural protein 1 of SARS-CoV-2 is a potent pathogenicity factor redirecting host protein synthesis machinery toward viral RNA

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuai Yuan ◽  
Lei Peng ◽  
Jonathan J. Park ◽  
Yingxia Hu ◽  
Swapnil C. Devarkar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protein Synthesis ◽  
Viral Protein ◽  
Nonstructural Protein ◽  
Differential Expression Analysis ◽  
Human Cells ◽  
Viral Rna ◽  
Host Protein ◽  
Viral Protein Synthesis ◽  
Pathogenicity Factor ◽  
Nonstructural Protein 1

SummaryThe COVID-19 pandemic affects millions of people worldwide with a rising death toll. The causative agent, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), uses its nonstructural protein 1 (Nsp1) to redirect host translation machinery to the viral RNA by binding to the ribosome and suppressing cellular, but not viral, protein synthesis through yet unknown mechanisms. We show here that among all viral proteins, Nsp1 has the largest impact on host viability in the cells of human lung origin. Differential expression analysis of mRNA-seq data revealed that Nsp1 broadly alters the transcriptome in human cells. The changes include repression of major gene clusters in ribosomal RNA processing, translation, mitochondria function, cell cycle and antigen presentation; and induction of factors in transcriptional regulation. We further gained a mechanistic understanding of the Nsp1 function by determining the cryo-EM structure of the Nsp1-40S ribosomal subunit complex, which shows that Nsp1 inhibits translation by plugging the mRNA entry channel of the 40S. We also determined the cryo-EM structure of the 48S preinitiation complex (PIC) formed by Nsp1, 40S, and the cricket paralysis virus (CrPV) internal ribosome entry site (IRES) RNA, which shows that this 48S PIC is nonfunctional due to the incorrect position of the 3’ region of the mRNA. Results presented here elucidate the mechanism of host translation inhibition by SARS-CoV-2, provide insight into viral protein synthesis, and furnish a comprehensive understanding of the impacts from one of the most potent pathogenicity factors of SARS-CoV-2.HighlightsORF screen identified Nsp1 as a major cellular pathogenicity factor of SARS-CoV-2Nsp1 broadly alters the gene expression programs in human cellsNsp1 inhibits translation by blocking mRNA entry channelNsp1 prevents physiological conformation of the 48S PIC

scholarly journals Cleavage of Poly(A)-Binding Protein by Coxsackievirus 2A Protease In Vitro and In Vivo: Another Mechanism for Host Protein Synthesis Shutoff?

1999 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. 709-717 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vaishali Kerekatte ◽  
Brett D. Keiper ◽  
Cornel Badorff ◽  
Aili Cai ◽  
Kirk U. Knowlton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protein Synthesis ◽  
Translation Initiation ◽  
Viral Protein ◽  
Binding Protein ◽  
Host Protein ◽  
Viral Protein Synthesis ◽  
2A Protease ◽  
Host Protein Synthesis

ABSTRACT Infection of cells by picornaviruses of the rhinovirus, aphthovirus, and enterovirus groups results in the shutoff of host protein synthesis but allows viral protein synthesis to proceed. Although considerable evidence suggests that this shutoff is mediated by the cleavage of eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF4G by sequence-specific viral proteases (2A protease in the case of coxsackievirus), several experimental observations are at variance with this view. Thus, the cleavage of other cellular proteins could contribute to the shutoff of host protein synthesis and stimulation of viral protein synthesis. Recent evidence indicates that the highly conserved 70-kDa cytoplasmic poly(A)-binding protein (PABP) participates directly in translation initiation. We have now found that PABP is also proteolytically cleaved during coxsackievirus infection of HeLa cells. The cleavage of PABP correlated better over time with the host translational shutoff and onset of viral protein synthesis than did the cleavage of eIF4G. In vitro experiments with purified rabbit PABP and recombinant human PABP as well as in vivo experiments withXenopus oocytes and recombinant Xenopus PABP demonstrate that the cleavage is catalyzed by 2A protease directly. N- and C-terminal sequencing indicates that cleavage occurs uniquely in human PABP at482VANTSTQTM↓GPRPAAAAAA500, separating the four N-terminal RNA recognition motifs (80%) from the C-terminal homodimerization domain (20%). The N-terminal cleavage product of PABP is less efficient than full-length PABP in restoring translation to a PABP-dependent rabbit reticulocyte lysate translation system. These results suggest that the cleavage of PABP may be another mechanism by which picornaviruses alter the rate and spectrum of protein synthesis.

scholarly journals Translational shutdown and evasion of the innate immune response by SARS-CoV-2 NSP14 protein

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (24) ◽  
pp. e2101161118
Author(s):  
Jack Chun-Chieh Hsu ◽  
Maudry Laurent-Rolle ◽  
Joanna B. Pawlak ◽  
Craig B. Wilen ◽  
Peter Cresswell
Keyword(s):  
Protein Synthesis ◽  
Active Sites ◽  
Nonstructural Protein ◽  
Innate Immune ◽  
Host Protein ◽  
Type I ◽  
Inhibition Activity ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Translation Inhibition ◽  
Host Protein Synthesis

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented global health crisis. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of COVID-19. Subversion of host protein synthesis is a common strategy that pathogenic viruses use to replicate and propagate in their host. In this study, we show that SARS-CoV-2 is able to shut down host protein synthesis and that SARS-CoV-2 nonstructural protein NSP14 exerts this activity. We show that the translation inhibition activity of NSP14 is conserved in human coronaviruses. NSP14 is required for virus replication through contribution of its exoribonuclease (ExoN) and N7-methyltransferase (N7-MTase) activities. Mutations in the ExoN or N7-MTase active sites of SARS-CoV-2 NSP14 abolish its translation inhibition activity. In addition, we show that the formation of NSP14−NSP10 complex enhances translation inhibition executed by NSP14. Consequently, the translational shutdown by NSP14 abolishes the type I interferon (IFN-I)-dependent induction of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs). Together, we find that SARS-CoV-2 shuts down host innate immune responses via a translation inhibitor, providing insights into the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2.

Multi-Alignment Comparison of Coronavirus Non-Structural Proteins Nsp13-16 with Ribosomal proteins and other DNA/RNA modifying Enzymes Suggested Their Roles in the Regulation of Host Protein Synthesis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
ASIT KUMAR CHAKRABORTY
Keyword(s):  
Protein Synthesis ◽  
Ribosomal Proteins ◽  
Dna Methyltransferase ◽  
Atp Synthesis ◽  
Host Protein ◽  
Structural Proteins ◽  
23S Rrna ◽  
Structural Protein ◽  
Viral Protein Synthesis ◽  
Host Protein Synthesis

Recently we proposed that Coronavirus Nsp2 protein is a RNA topoisomerase and Nsp16 is a 2'-O-Ribose Uridine Methyltransferase. BLAST search found that Nsp13 non-structural protein was a 2'-O-Ribose Guanosine Capping Methyltransferase although it has been implicated as RNA helicase. Search with 200 RNA/DNA binding-modifying proteins confirmed Nsp13 protein homology to ribosomal L6 and L9 proteins and Nsp2 protein to L1 protein and Nsp15 protein to S1 and S22 ribosomal proteins. Further, Nsp13 has some homology with Cfr 23S rRNA methyltransferase and RNaseT whereas Nsp15 had close relation to RecA recombinase and Dcm DNA methyltransferase. Similarly, Nsp14 had homology with Cfr 23S rRNA methyltransferase and Nsp16 2’-O-Ribose MTase had some similarity to UvrC exinuclease and RNase. These suggested that Nsp2, Nsp13, Nsp14, Nsp15 and nsp16 non-structural proteins may be recruited easily to mitoribosome making chimera ribosome to methylate the rRNA or change its topology favouring viral protein synthesis and inhibiting host protein synthesis. Such change in host protein synthesis in the mitochondria may cause a inhibition in oxidative phosphorylation and ATP synthesis causing quick coma or heart failure as seen in many Corona-infected patients. Thus, targeting those viral proteins with drugs, antisense, ribozyme and CRISPR-Cas6 may cure Corona-infected patients.

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