scholarly journals Global Genomic Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 RNA Dependent RNA Polymerase Evolution and Antiviral Drug Resistance

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 1094
Author(s):  
Alfredo Mari ◽  
Tim Roloff ◽  
Madlen Stange ◽  
Kirstine K. Søgaard ◽  
Erblin Asllanaj ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Resistance ◽  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Selective Pressure ◽  
Antiviral Drug ◽  
Genomic Analysis ◽  
Purifying Selection ◽  
Escape Mutation ◽  
Antiviral Resistance ◽  
Rna Dependent Rna Polymerase ◽  
Starting Point

A variety of antiviral treatments for COVID-19 have been investigated, involving many repurposed drugs. Currently, the SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp, encoded by nsp12-nsp7-nsp8) has been targeted by numerous inhibitors, e.g., remdesivir, the only provisionally approved treatment to-date, although the clinical impact of these interventions remains inconclusive. However, the potential emergence of antiviral resistance poses a threat to the efficacy of any successful therapies on a wide scale. Here, we propose a framework to monitor the emergence of antiviral resistance, and as a proof of concept, we address the interaction between RdRp and remdesivir. We show that SARS-CoV-2 RdRp is under purifying selection, that potential escape mutations are rare in circulating lineages, and that those mutations, where present, do not destabilise RdRp. In more than 56,000 viral genomes from 105 countries from the first pandemic wave, we found negative selective pressure affecting nsp12 (Tajima’s D = −2.62), with potential antiviral escape mutations in only 0.3% of sequenced genomes. Potential escape mutations included known key residues, such as Nsp12:Val473 and Nsp12:Arg555. Of the potential escape mutations involved globally, in silico structural models found that they were unlikely to be associated with loss of stability in RdRp. No potential escape mutation was found in a local cohort of remdesivir treated patients. Collectively, these findings indicate that RdRp is a suitable drug target, and that remdesivir does not seem to exert high selective pressure. We anticipate our framework to be the starting point of a larger effort for a global monitoring of drug resistance throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals Global surveillance of potential antiviral drug resistance in SARS-CoV-2: proof of concept focussing on the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfredo Mari ◽  
Tim-Christoph Roloff ◽  
Madlen Stange ◽  
Kirstine Kobberoee Soegaard ◽  
Erblin Asllanaj ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Resistance ◽  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Selective Pressure ◽  
Antiviral Drug ◽  
Purifying Selection ◽  
Viral Fitness ◽  
Escape Mutation ◽  
Antiviral Resistance ◽  
Rna Dependent Rna Polymerase ◽  
Starting Point

Antiviral treatments for COVID-19 have involved many repurposed drugs. Currently, SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp, encoded by nsp12-nsp7-nsp8) has been targeted by numerous inhibitors with debated clinical impact. Among these, remdesivir has been conditionally approved for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Although the emergence of antiviral resistance, an indirect proxy for antiviral efficacy, poses a considerable healthcare threat, an evolutionary perspective on emerging resistant mutants is still lacking. Here we show that SARS-CoV-2 RdRp is under purifying selection, that potential escape mutations are rare, and unlikely to lead to viral fitness loss. In more than 56,000 viral genomes from 105 countries dating from December 2019 to July 2020 we found negative selective pressure affecting nsp12 (Tajimas D = -2.62), with potential antiviral escape mutations in only 0.3% of sequenced genomes. Those affected known key residues, such as Nsp12:Val473 and Nsp12:Arg555. Of the potential escape mutations found globally, in silico structural models show that this rarely implies loss of stability in RdRp. No potential escape mutation were found in our local cohort of remdesivir treated patients from the first wave (n=8). Our results indicate that RdRp is a suitable drug target, and that remdesivir does not seem to exert high selective pressure. Our study could be the starting point of a larger monitoring effort of drug resistance throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We recommend the application of repetitive genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 from patients treated with antivirals to provide early insights into the evolution or antiviral resistance.

scholarly journals The Need for Development of New HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase and Integrase Inhibitors in the Aftermath of Antiviral Drug Resistance

Scientifica ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark A. Wainberg
Keyword(s):  
Drug Resistance ◽  
Reverse Transcriptase ◽  
Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy ◽  
Antiviral Drug ◽  
Antiviral Resistance ◽  
Strand Transfer ◽  
Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors ◽  
Major Step ◽  
Genetic Barrier ◽  
Highly Active

The use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) involves combinations of drugs to achieve maximal virological response and reduce the potential for the emergence of antiviral resistance. There are two broad classes of reverse transcriptase inhibitors, the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) and nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs). Since the first classes of such compounds were developed, viral resistance against them has necessitated the continuous development of novel compounds within each class. This paper considers the NRTIs and NNRTIs currently in both preclinical and clinical development or approved for second line therapy and describes the patterns of resistance associated with their use, as well as the underlying mechanisms that have been described. Due to reasons of both affordability and availability, some reverse transcriptase inhibitors with low genetic barrier are more commonly used in resource-limited settings. Their use results to the emergence of specific patterns of antiviral resistance and so may require specific actions to preserve therapeutic options for patients in such settings. More recently, the advent of integrase strand transfer inhibitors represents another major step forward toward control of HIV infection, but these compounds are also susceptible to problems of HIV drug resistance.

scholarly journals Antiviral drug resistance in seasonal and pandemic influenza

2011 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 26
Author(s):  
Aeron C Hurt
Keyword(s):  
Drug Resistance ◽  
Human Population ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Antiviral Drug ◽  
Influenza Viruses ◽  
Antiviral Resistance ◽  
Influenza B ◽  
Neuraminidase Inhibitors ◽  
Influenza A Viruses ◽  
Antiviral Drug Resistance

Two classes of anti-influenza drugs are currently available for the treatment or prophylaxis of influenza. These are the adamantanes (amantadine and rimantadine), which block the activity of the M2 ion channel of influenza A viruses (but not influenza B viruses), and the neuraminidase inhibitors (NAIs), which act by binding to the enzymatic site of the influenza neuraminidase (NA) thereby preventing progeny virions from being released from the host cell during viral replication. Antiviral resistance can occur in influenza viruses and render the drug ineffective for the treatment of patients. Virtually all influenza A viruses currently circulating in the human population are resistant to the adamantanes, while in comparison these viruses remain susceptible to the NAIs. In particular, very low NAI resistance has been observed in pandemic A(H1N1) 2009 viruses, even though unprecedented amounts of these drugs were used.

scholarly journals Computationally repurposed drugs and natural products against RNA dependent RNA polymerase as potential COVID-19 therapies

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sakshi Piplani ◽  
Puneet Kumar Singh ◽  
David A. Winkler ◽  
Nikolai Petrovsky
Keyword(s):  
Natural Products ◽  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Kinase Inhibitor ◽  
Binding Energies ◽  
Dynamics Simulation ◽  
Rna Dependent Rna Polymerase ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Potential Activity ◽  
Repurposed Drugs ◽  
Multiple Drugs

AbstractRepurposing of existing drugs and drug candidates is an ideal approach to identify new potential therapies for SARS-CoV-2 that can be tested without delay in human trials of infected patients. Here we applied a virtual screening approach using Autodock Vina and molecular dynamics simulation in tandem to calculate binding energies for repurposed drugs against the SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). We thereby identified 80 promising compounds with potential activity against SARS-Cov2, consisting of a mixture of antiviral drugs, natural products and drugs with diverse modes of action. A substantial proportion of the top 80 compounds identified in this study had been shown by others to have SARS-CoV-2 antiviral effects in vitro or in vivo, thereby validating our approach. Amongst our top hits not previously reported to have SARS-CoV-2 activity, were eribulin, a macrocyclic ketone analogue of the marine compound halichondrin B and an anticancer drug, the AXL receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor bemcentinib. Our top hits from our RdRp drug screen may not only have utility in treating COVID-19 but may provide a useful starting point for therapeutics against other coronaviruses. Hence, our modelling approach successfully identified multiple drugs with potential activity against SARS-CoV-2 RdRp.

Virtual Screening of the Indonesian Medicinal Plant and Zinc Databases for Potential Inhibitors of the RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase (RdRp) of 2019 Novel Coronavirus

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 1430
Author(s):  
Muhammad Arba ◽  
Andry Nur-Hidayat ◽  
Ida Usman ◽  
Arry Yanuar ◽  
Setyanto Tri Wahyudi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Binding Energy ◽  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Antiviral Drug ◽  
Dynamics Simulation ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Rna Dependent Rna Polymerase ◽  
Energy Prediction ◽  
Binding Energy Prediction ◽  
Solvation Energies ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

The novel coronavirus disease 19 (Covid-19) which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been a pandemic across the world, which necessitate the need for the antiviral drug discovery. One of the potential protein targets for coronavirus treatment is RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. It is the key enzyme in the viral replication machinery, and it does not exist in human beings, therefore its targeting has been considered as a strategic approach. Here we describe the identification of potential hits from Indonesian Herbal and ZINC databases. The pharmacophore modeling was employed followed by molecular docking and dynamics simulation for 40 ns. 151 and 14480 hit molecules were retrieved from Indonesian herbal and ZINC databases, respectively. Three hits that were selected based on the structural analysis were stable during 40 ns, while binding energy prediction further implied that ZINC1529045114, ZINC169730811, and 9-Ribosyl-trans-zeatin had tighter binding affinities compared to Remdesivir. The ZINC169730811 had the strongest affinity toward RdRp compared to the other two hits including Remdesivir and its binding was corroborated by electrostatic, van der Waals, and nonpolar contribution for solvation energies. The present study offers three hits showing tighter binding to RdRp based on MM-PBSA binding energy prediction for further experimental verification.

scholarly journals Ivermectin as a promising RNA-dependent RNA polymerase inhibitor and a therapeutic drug against SARS-CoV2: Evidence from in silico studies

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ananta Swargiary
Keyword(s):  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
3D Structure ◽  
Antiviral Drug ◽  
Strong Interactions ◽  
Therapeutic Drug ◽  
Binding Property ◽  
Binding Interaction ◽  
Rna Dependent Rna Polymerase ◽  
Potential Inhibitor ◽  
In Silico Studies

Abstract Purpose: COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV2 virus is a contagious disease affecting millions of lives throughout the globe. Currently, there are no clinically approved drugs for SARS-CoV2 although some drugs are undergoing clinical trials. The present study investigates the binding property of ivermectin on four important drug targets, spike protein, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, 3-chymotrypsin- and papain-like proteases of SARS-CoV2. Methods: The 3D structure of ivermectin along with known antiviral drug lopinavir, simeprevir and four nucleotides ATP, GTP, CTP, and UTP were downloaded from PubChem database. Crystal structures of proteins were downloaded from PDB database. PDB files were converted into pdbqt file using AutoDock tools. After proper processing and grid formation, docking was carried out in AutoDock vina. Furthermore, the co-crystallized RNA and its binding interactions with RdRp were studied using various visualization tools including Discovery studio.Results: Docking study showed that ivermectin is the best binding drug compared to lopinavir and simeprevir. The best binding interaction was found to be -9.7kcal/mol with RdRp suggesting potential inhibitor of the protein. Twenty-one amino acid residues of RdRp were found to interact with ivermectin including the catalytic residue Asp760. Furthermore, RNA-RdRp complex revealed that the catalytic active residues Ser759 and Asp760 of RdRp formed strong interactions with RNA chain. Binding of ivermectin in the active site of RdRp make clash with the nucleotides of RNA chain suggesting the possible inhibition of replication.Conclusions: The present study suggests ivermectin as a potential inhibitor of RdRp which may be crucial to combat the SARS-CoV2.

scholarly journals Structure of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase from COVID-19 virus

Science ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 368 (6492) ◽  
pp. 779-782 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Gao ◽  
Liming Yan ◽  
Yucen Huang ◽  
Fengjiang Liu ◽  
Yao Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Antiviral Drug ◽  
Central Component ◽  
Analysis Model ◽  
Primary Target ◽  
Rna Dependent Rna Polymerase ◽  
Viral Rdrp ◽  
Cryo Electron Microscopy ◽  
N Terminus ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

A novel coronavirus [severe acute respiratory syndrome–coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)] outbreak has caused a global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, resulting in tens of thousands of infections and thousands of deaths worldwide. The RNA-dependent RNA polymerase [(RdRp), also named nsp12] is the central component of coronaviral replication and transcription machinery, and it appears to be a primary target for the antiviral drug remdesivir. We report the cryo–electron microscopy structure of COVID-19 virus full-length nsp12 in complex with cofactors nsp7 and nsp8 at 2.9-angstrom resolution. In addition to the conserved architecture of the polymerase core of the viral polymerase family, nsp12 possesses a newly identified β-hairpin domain at its N terminus. A comparative analysis model shows how remdesivir binds to this polymerase. The structure provides a basis for the design of new antiviral therapeutics that target viral RdRp.

scholarly journals A nucleobase-binding pocket in a viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase contributes to elongation complex stability

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 1392-1405 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Shi ◽  
Han-Qing Ye ◽  
Cheng-Lin Deng ◽  
Rui Li ◽  
Bo Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Antiviral Drug ◽  
Enterovirus 71 ◽  
Binding Pocket ◽  
Genome Replication ◽  
Elongation Complex ◽  
Rna Dependent Rna Polymerase

Abstract The enterovirus 71 (EV71) 3Dpol is an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) that plays the central role in the viral genome replication, and is an important target in antiviral studies. Here, we report a crystal structure of EV71 3Dpol elongation complex (EC) at 1.8 Å resolution. The structure reveals that the 5′-end guanosine of the downstream RNA template interacts with a fingers domain pocket, with the base sandwiched by H44 and R277 side chains through hydrophobic stacking interactions, and these interactions are still maintained after one in-crystal translocation event induced by nucleotide incorporation, implying that the pocket could regulate the functional properties of the polymerase by interacting with RNA. When mutated, residue R277 showed an impact on virus proliferation in virological studies with residue H44 having a synergistic effect. In vitro biochemical data further suggest that mutations at these two sites affect RNA binding, EC stability, but not polymerase catalytic rate (kcat) and apparent NTP affinity (KM,NTP). We propose that, although rarely captured by crystallography, similar surface pocket interaction with nucleobase may commonly exist in nucleic acid motor enzymes to facilitate their processivity. Potential applications in antiviral drug and vaccine development are also discussed.

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