Université de Rouen Normandie, Laboratoire GlycoMEV UR 4358, SFR Normandie Végétal FED 4277, Innovation Chimie Carnot, F-76000 Rouen, France.
Department of Plant, Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tabriz, Tabriz 5166616471, Iran.
Mar Drugs. 2022 Oct 23;20(11):657. doi: 10.3390/md20110657.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome-Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can infect various human organs, including the respiratory, circulatory, nervous, and gastrointestinal ones. The virus is internalized into human cells by binding to the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor through its spike protein (S-glycoprotein). As S-glycoprotein is required for the attachment and entry into the human target cells, it is the primary mediator of SARS-CoV-2 infectivity. Currently, this glycoprotein has received considerable attention as a key component for the development of antiviral vaccines or biologics against SARS-CoV-2. Moreover, since the ACE2 receptor constitutes the main entry route for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, its soluble form could be considered as a promising approach for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 infection (COVID-19). Both S-glycoprotein and ACE2 are highly glycosylated molecules containing 22 and 7 consensus -glycosylation sites, respectively. The -glycan structures attached to these specific sites are required for the folding, conformation, recycling, and biological activity of both glycoproteins. Thus far, recombinant S-glycoprotein and ACE2 have been produced primarily in mammalian cells, which is an expensive process. Therefore, benefiting from a cheaper cell-based biofactory would be a good value added to the development of cost-effective recombinant vaccines and biopharmaceuticals directed against COVID-19. To this end, efficient protein synthesis machinery and the ability to properly impose post-translational modifications make microalgae an eco-friendly platform for the production of pharmaceutical glycoproteins. Notably, several microalgae (e.g., , , and species) are already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as safe human food. Because microalgal cells contain a rigid cell wall that could act as a natural encapsulation to protect the recombinant proteins from the aggressive environment of the stomach, this feature could be used for the rapid production and edible targeted delivery of S-glycoprotein and soluble ACE2 for the treatment/inhibition of SARS-CoV-2. Herein, we have reviewed the pathogenesis mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 and then highlighted the potential of microalgae for the treatment/inhibition of COVID-19 infection.
严重急性呼吸系统综合征冠状病毒 2（SARS-CoV-2）可感染多种人体器官，包括呼吸系统、循环系统、神经系统和胃肠道。该病毒通过其刺突蛋白（S-糖蛋白）与人类血管紧张素转换酶 2（ACE2）受体结合，进入人体细胞。由于 S-糖蛋白是附着和进入人体靶细胞所必需的，因此它是 SARS-CoV-2 传染性的主要介导者。目前，这种糖蛋白作为开发针对 SARS-CoV-2 的抗病毒疫苗或生物制剂的关键成分受到了相当多的关注。此外，由于 ACE2 受体是 SARS-CoV-2 病毒的主要进入途径，其可溶性形式可被视为治疗 2019 年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）感染的有前途的方法。S-糖蛋白和 ACE2 都是高度糖基化的分子，分别含有 22 个和 7 个公认的糖基化位点。附着在这些特定位点的糖链结构对于这两种糖蛋白的折叠、构象、回收和生物活性都是必需的。到目前为止，S-糖蛋白和 ACE2 主要在哺乳动物细胞中产生，这是一个昂贵的过程。因此，利用更廉价的基于细胞的生物工厂将是一个很好的附加值，有利于开发针对 COVID-19 的具有成本效益的重组疫苗和生物制药。为此，高效的蛋白质合成机制和适当施加翻译后修饰的能力使微藻成为生产药用糖蛋白的环保平台。值得注意的是，几种微藻（例如，、、和 物种）已经被美国食品和药物管理局（FDA）批准为安全的人类食品。由于微藻细胞含有刚性细胞壁，可作为天然封装物，保护重组蛋白免受胃内恶劣环境的影响，因此该特性可用于快速生产和可食用的靶向递送 S-糖蛋白和可溶性 ACE2，以治疗/抑制 SARS-CoV-2。在此，我们回顾了 SARS-CoV-2 的发病机制，然后强调了微藻在治疗/抑制 COVID-19 感染方面的潜力。
