Engineering defensin α-helix to produce high-affinity SARS-CoV-2 spike protein binding ligands.

ABSTRACT: The binding of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor expressed on the host cells is a critical initial step for viral infection. This interaction is blocked through competitive inhibition by soluble ACE2 protein. Therefore, developing high-affinity and cost-effective ACE2 mimetic ligands that disrupt this protein-protein interaction is a promising strategy for viral diagnostics and therapy. We employed human and plant defensins, a class of small (2-5 kDa) and highly stable proteins containing solvent-exposed alpha-helix, conformationally constrained by two disulfide bonds. Therefore, we engineered the amino acid residues on the constrained alpha-helix of defensins to mimic the critical residues on t

SUBMITTER: Fernandes LA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9144876 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature