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1. SPR Sensor-Based Analysis of the Inhibition of Marine Sulfated Glycans on Interactions between Monkeypox Virus Proteins and Glycosaminoglycans

   https://doi.org/10.3390/md21050264  

   He, Peng; Shi, Deling; Li, Yunran; Xia, Ke; Kim, Seon Beom; Dwivedi, Rohini; Farrag, Marwa; Pomin, Vitor H.; Linhardt, Robert J.; Dordick, Jonathan S.; et al (May 2023, Marine Drugs)

   Sulfated glycans from marine organisms are excellent sources of naturally occurring glycosaminoglycan (GAG) mimetics that demonstrate therapeutic activities, such as antiviral/microbial infection, anticoagulant, anticancer, and anti-inflammation activities. Many viruses use the heparan sulfate (HS) GAG on the surface of host cells as co-receptors for attachment and initiating cell entry. Therefore, virion–HS interactions have been targeted to develop broad-spectrum antiviral therapeutics. Here we report the potential anti-monkeypox virus (MPXV) activities of eight defined marine sulfated glycans, three fucosylated chondroitin sulfates, and three sulfated fucans extracted from the sea cucumber species Isostichopus badionotus, Holothuria floridana, and Pentacta pygmaea, and the sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus, as well as two chemically desulfated derivatives. The inhibitions of these marine sulfated glycans on MPXV A29 and A35 protein–heparin interactions were evaluated using surface plasmon resonance (SPR). These results demonstrated that the viral surface proteins of MPXV A29 and A35 bound to heparin, which is a highly sulfated HS, and sulfated glycans from sea cucumbers showed strong inhibition of MPXV A29 and A35 interactions. The study of molecular interactions between viral proteins and host cell GAGs is important in developing therapeutics for the prevention and treatment of MPXV. 

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2. Potential Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Activity of Pentosan Polysulfate and Mucopolysaccharide Polysulfate

   https://doi.org/10.3390/ph15020258  

   Zhang, Fuming; He, Peng; Rodrigues, Andre L.; Jeske, Walter; Tandon, Ritesh; Bates, John T.; Bierdeman, Michael A.; Fareed, Jawed; Dordick, Jonathan; Linhardt, Robert J. (February 2022, Pharmaceuticals)

   With the increased prevalence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, such as Delta and Omicron, the COVID-19 pandemic has become an ongoing human health disaster, killing millions worldwide. SARS-CoV-2 invades its host through the interaction of its spike (S) protein with a host cell receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). In addition, heparan sulfate (HS) on the surface of host cells plays an important role as a co-receptor for this viral pathogen–host cell interaction. Our previous studies demonstrated that many sulfated glycans, such as heparin, fucoidans, and rhamnan sulfate have anti-SARS-CoV-2 activities. In the current study, a small library of sulfated glycans and highly negatively charged compounds, including pentosan polysulfate (PPS), mucopolysaccharide polysulfate (MPS), sulfated lactobionic acid, sulodexide, and defibrotide, was assembled and evaluated for binding to the S-proteins and inhibition of viral infectivity in vitro. These compounds inhibited the interaction of the S-protein receptor-binding domain (RBD) (wild type and different variants) with immobilized heparin, a highly sulfated HS, as determined using surface plasmon resonance (SPR). PPS and MPS showed the strongest inhibition of interaction of heparin and S-protein RBD. The competitive binding studies showed that the IC50 of PPS and MPS against the S-protein RBD binding to immobilized heparin was ~35 nM and ~9 nM, respectively, much lower than the IC50 for soluble heparin (IC50 = 56 nM). Both PPS and MPS showed stronger inhibition than heparin on the S-protein RBD or spike pseudotyped lentiviral particles binding to immobilized heparin. Finally, in an in vitro cell-based assay, PPS and MPS exhibited strong antiviral activities against pseudotyped viral particles of SARS-CoV-2 containing wild-type or Delta S-proteins. 

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3. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Activity of Rhamnan Sulfate from Monostroma nitidum

   https://doi.org/10.3390/md19120685  

   Song, Yuefan; He, Peng; Rodrigues, Andre L.; Datta, Payel; Tandon, Ritesh; Bates, John T.; Bierdeman, Michael A.; Chen, Chen; Dordick, Jonathan; Zhang, Fuming; et al (December 2021, Marine Drugs)

   The COVID-19 pandemic is a major human health concern. The pathogen responsible for COVID-19, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), invades its host through the interaction of its spike (S) protein with a host cell receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). In addition to ACE2, heparan sulfate (HS) on the surface of host cells also plays a significant role as a co-receptor. Our previous studies demonstrated that sulfated glycans, such as heparin and fucoidans, show anti-COVID-19 activities. In the current study, rhamnan sulfate (RS), a polysaccharide with a rhamnose backbone from a green seaweed, Monostroma nitidum, was evaluated for binding to the S-protein from SARS-CoV-2 and inhibition of viral infectivity in vitro. The structural characteristics of RS were investigated by determining its monosaccharide composition and performing two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance. RS inhibition of the interaction of heparin, a highly sulfated HS, with the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (from wild type and different mutant variants) was studied using surface plasmon resonance (SPR). In competitive binding studies, the IC50 of RS against the S-protein receptor binding domain (RBD) binding to immobilized heparin was 1.6 ng/mL, which is much lower than the IC50 for heparin (~750 ng/mL). RS showed stronger inhibition than heparin on the S-protein RBD or pseudoviral particles binding to immobilized heparin. Finally, in an in vitro cell-based assay, RS showed strong antiviral activities against wild type SARS-CoV-2 and the delta variant. 

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4. Host heparan sulfate promotes ACE2 super-cluster assembly and enhances SARS-CoV-2-associated syncytium formation

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-41453-w  

   Zhang, Qi; Tang, Weichun; Stancanelli, Eduardo; Jung, Eunkyung; Syed, Zulfeqhar; Pagadala, Vijayakanth; Saidi, Layla; Chen, Catherine Z.; Gao, Peng; Xu, Miao; et al (December 2023, Nature Communications)

   Abstract SARS-CoV-2 infection causes spike-dependent fusion of infected cells with ACE2 positive neighboring cells, generating multi-nuclear syncytia that are often associated with severe COVID. To better elucidate the mechanism of spike-induced syncytium formation, we combine chemical genetics with 4D confocal imaging to establish the cell surface heparan sulfate (HS) as a critical stimulator for spike-induced cell-cell fusion. We show that HS binds spike and promotes spike-induced ACE2 clustering, forming synapse-like cell-cell contacts that facilitate fusion pore formation between ACE2-expresing and spike-transfected human cells. Chemical or genetic inhibition of HS mitigates ACE2 clustering, and thus, syncytium formation, whereas in a cell-free system comprising purified HS and lipid-anchored ACE2, HS stimulates ACE2 clustering directly in the presence of spike. Furthermore, HS-stimulated syncytium formation and receptor clustering require a conserved ACE2 linker distal from the spike-binding site. Importantly, the cell fusion-boosting function of HS can be targeted by an investigational HS-binding drug, which reduces syncytium formation in vitro and viral infection in mice. Thus, HS, as a host factor exploited by SARS-CoV-2 to facilitate receptor clustering and a stimulator of infection-associated syncytium formation, may be a promising therapeutic target for severe COVID. 

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5. Interactions between heparin and SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein RBD from omicron and other variants

   https://doi.org/10.3389/fmolb.2022.912887  

   Gelbach, Adrianne L.; Zhang, Fuming; Kwon, Seok-Joon; Bates, John T.; Farmer, Andrew P.; Dordick, Jonathan S.; Wang, Chunyu; Linhardt, Robert J. (August 2022, Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences)

   Heparan sulfate (HS) acts as a co-receptor of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) by interacting with severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike glycoprotein (SGP) facilitating host cell entry of SARS-CoV-2 virus. Heparin, a highly sulfated version of heparan sulfate (HS), interacts with a variety of proteins playing key roles in many physiological and pathological processes. In this study, SARS-CoV-2 SGP receptor binding domain (RBD) wild type (WT), Delta and Omicron variants were expressed in Expi293F cells and used in the kinetic and structural analysis on their interactions with heparin. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) analysis showed the binding kinetics of SGP RBD from WT and Delta variants were very similar while Omicron variant SGP showed a much higher association rate. The SGP from Delta and Omicron showed higher affinity ( K D ) to heparin than the WT SGP. Competition SPR studies using heparin oligosaccharides indicated that binding of SGP RBDs to heparin requires chain length greater than 18. Chemically modified heparin derivatives all showed reduced interactions in competition assays suggesting that all the sulfo groups in the heparin polysaccharide were critical for binding SGP RBDs with heparin. These interactions with heparin are pH sensitive. Acidic pH (pH 6.5, 5.5, 4.5) greatly increased the binding of WT and Delta SGP RBDs to heparin, while acidic pH slightly reduced the binding of Omicron SGP RBD to heparin compared to binding at pH 7.3. In contrast, basic pH (pH 8.5) greatly reduced the binding of Omicron SGP RBDs to heparin, with much less effects on WT or Delta. The pH dependence indicates different charged residues were present at the Omicron SGP-heparin interface. Detailed kinetic and structural analysis of the interactions of SARS-CoV-2 SGP RBDs with heparin provides important information for designing anti-SARS-CoV-2 molecules. 

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