Glucocorticoids Bind to SARS-CoV-2 S1 at Multiple Sites Causing Cooperative Inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 S1 Interaction With ACE2

Copyright © 2022 Sarker, Panigrahi, Hardy, Glover, Elahi and Fernandez-Patron..

Dexamethasone may reduce mortality in COVID-19 patients. Whether dexamethasone or endogenous glucocorticoids, such as cortisol, biochemically interact with SARS-CoV-2 spike 1 protein (S1), or its cellular receptor ACE2, is unknown. Using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and binding energy calculations, we identified 162 druggable pockets in various conformational states of S1 and all possible binding pockets for cortisol and dexamethasone. Through biochemical binding studies, we confirmed that cortisol and dexamethasone bind to S1. Limited proteolysis and mass spectrometry analyses validated several MD identified binding pockets for cortisol and dexamethasone on S1. Interaction assays indicated that cortisol and dexamethasone separately and cooperatively disrupt S1 interaction with ACE2, through direct binding to S1, without affecting ACE2 catalytic activity. Cortisol disrupted the binding of the mutant S1 Beta variant (E484K, K417N, N501Y) to ACE2. Delta and Omicron variants are mutated in or near identified cortisol-binding pockets in S1, which may affect cortisol binding to them. In the presence of cortisol, we find increased inhibition of S1 binding to ACE2 by an anti-SARS-CoV-2 S1 human chimeric monoclonal antibody against the receptor binding domain. Whether glucocorticoid/S1 direct interaction is an innate defence mechanism that may have contributed to mild or asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection deserves further investigation.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2022

Erschienen:

2022

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:13

Enthalten in:

Frontiers in immunology - 13(2022) vom: 18., Seite 906687

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Sarker, Hassan [VerfasserIn]
Panigrahi, Rashmi [VerfasserIn]
Hardy, Eugenio [VerfasserIn]
Glover, J N Mark [VerfasserIn]
Elahi, Shokrollah [VerfasserIn]
Fernandez-Patron, Carlos [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

7S5I7G3JQL
ACE2 (angiotensin converting enzyme 2)
Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2
Antibodies, Viral
COVID
Coronavirus
Dexamethasone
EC 3.4.15.1
EC 3.4.17.23
Glucocorticoids
Hydrocortisone
Innate immunity
Journal Article
Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
SARS-CoV-2
WI4X0X7BPJ

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 06.07.2022

Date Revised 07.12.2022

published: Electronic-eCollection

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.3389/fimmu.2022.906687

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM343050978