Structure-based design and characterization of novel fusion-inhibitory lipopeptides against SARS-CoV-2 and emerging variants

The ongoing pandemic of COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has severely impacted the global public health and socio-economic stability, calling for effective vaccines and therapeutics. In this study, we continued our efforts to develop more efficient SARS-CoV-2 fusion inhibitors and achieved significan...

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Main Authors: Danwei Yu, Yuanmei Zhu, Tao Jiao, Tong Wu, Xia Xiao, Bo Qin, Huihui Chong, Xiaobo Lei, Lili Ren, Sheng Cui, Jianwei Wang, Yuxian He
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2021-01-01
Series:Emerging Microbes and Infections
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Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/22221751.2021.1937329
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author Danwei Yu
Yuanmei Zhu
Tao Jiao
Tong Wu
Xia Xiao
Bo Qin
Huihui Chong
Xiaobo Lei
Lili Ren
Sheng Cui
Jianwei Wang
Yuxian He
author_facet Danwei Yu
Yuanmei Zhu
Tao Jiao
Tong Wu
Xia Xiao
Bo Qin
Huihui Chong
Xiaobo Lei
Lili Ren
Sheng Cui
Jianwei Wang
Yuxian He
author_sort Danwei Yu
collection DOAJ
description The ongoing pandemic of COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has severely impacted the global public health and socio-economic stability, calling for effective vaccines and therapeutics. In this study, we continued our efforts to develop more efficient SARS-CoV-2 fusion inhibitors and achieved significant findings. First, we found that the membrane-proximal external region (MPER) sequence of SARS-CoV-2 spike fusion protein plays a critical role in viral infectivity and can serve as an ideal template for design of fusion-inhibitory peptides. Second, a panel of novel lipopeptides was generated with greatly improved activity in inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 fusion and infection. Third, we showed that the new inhibitors maintained the potent inhibitory activity against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants, including those with the major mutations of the B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 strains circulating in the United Kingdom and South Africa, respectively. Fourth, the new inhibitors also cross-inhibited other human CoVs, including SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, HCoV-229E, and HCoV-NL63. Fifth, the structural properties of the new inhibitors were characterized by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and crystallographic approach, which revealed the mechanisms underlying the high binding and inhibition. Combined, our studies provide important information for understanding the mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 fusion and a framework for the development of peptide therapeutics for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 and other CoVs.
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spelling doaj-art-38e08a6bd85649bb864ced43a44b672a2025-08-20T02:59:14ZengTaylor & Francis GroupEmerging Microbes and Infections2222-17512021-01-011011227124010.1080/22221751.2021.1937329Structure-based design and characterization of novel fusion-inhibitory lipopeptides against SARS-CoV-2 and emerging variantsDanwei Yu0Yuanmei Zhu1Tao Jiao2Tong Wu3Xia Xiao4Bo Qin5Huihui Chong6Xiaobo Lei7Lili Ren8Sheng Cui9Jianwei Wang10Yuxian He11NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaNHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaNHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaNHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaNHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaNHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaNHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaNHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaNHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaNHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaNHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaNHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaThe ongoing pandemic of COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has severely impacted the global public health and socio-economic stability, calling for effective vaccines and therapeutics. In this study, we continued our efforts to develop more efficient SARS-CoV-2 fusion inhibitors and achieved significant findings. First, we found that the membrane-proximal external region (MPER) sequence of SARS-CoV-2 spike fusion protein plays a critical role in viral infectivity and can serve as an ideal template for design of fusion-inhibitory peptides. Second, a panel of novel lipopeptides was generated with greatly improved activity in inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 fusion and infection. Third, we showed that the new inhibitors maintained the potent inhibitory activity against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants, including those with the major mutations of the B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 strains circulating in the United Kingdom and South Africa, respectively. Fourth, the new inhibitors also cross-inhibited other human CoVs, including SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, HCoV-229E, and HCoV-NL63. Fifth, the structural properties of the new inhibitors were characterized by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and crystallographic approach, which revealed the mechanisms underlying the high binding and inhibition. Combined, our studies provide important information for understanding the mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 fusion and a framework for the development of peptide therapeutics for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 and other CoVs.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/22221751.2021.1937329SARS-CoV-2spike proteinmembrane fusionfusion inhibitorlipopeptide
spellingShingle Danwei Yu
Yuanmei Zhu
Tao Jiao
Tong Wu
Xia Xiao
Bo Qin
Huihui Chong
Xiaobo Lei
Lili Ren
Sheng Cui
Jianwei Wang
Yuxian He
Structure-based design and characterization of novel fusion-inhibitory lipopeptides against SARS-CoV-2 and emerging variants
Emerging Microbes and Infections
SARS-CoV-2
spike protein
membrane fusion
fusion inhibitor
lipopeptide
title Structure-based design and characterization of novel fusion-inhibitory lipopeptides against SARS-CoV-2 and emerging variants
title_full Structure-based design and characterization of novel fusion-inhibitory lipopeptides against SARS-CoV-2 and emerging variants
title_fullStr Structure-based design and characterization of novel fusion-inhibitory lipopeptides against SARS-CoV-2 and emerging variants
title_full_unstemmed Structure-based design and characterization of novel fusion-inhibitory lipopeptides against SARS-CoV-2 and emerging variants
title_short Structure-based design and characterization of novel fusion-inhibitory lipopeptides against SARS-CoV-2 and emerging variants
title_sort structure based design and characterization of novel fusion inhibitory lipopeptides against sars cov 2 and emerging variants
topic SARS-CoV-2
spike protein
membrane fusion
fusion inhibitor
lipopeptide
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/22221751.2021.1937329
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