Nguyen Thi-Huong, Wang Hanqing, Chen Li-Yu, Echtermeyer Danny, Pliquett Uwe
Institute for Bioprocessing and Analytical Measurement Techniques, 37308 Heilbad Heiligenstadt, Germany.
Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Technische Universität Ilmenau, 98694 Ilmenau, Germany.
ACS Omega. 2023 Nov 21;8(48):45952-45960. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.3c06811. eCollection 2023 Dec 5.
In the quest for effective COVID-19 treatments and vaccines, traditional biochemical methods have been paramount, yet the challenge of accommodating diverse viral mutants persists. Recent simulations propose an innovative physical strategy involving an external electric field applied to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, demonstrating a reduced viral binding potential. However, limited empirical knowledge exists regarding the characteristics of the spike protein after E-field treatment. Our study addresses this gap by employing diverse analytical techniques to elucidate the impact of low/moderate E-field intensity on the binding of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to the ACE2 receptor. Through comprehensive analysis, we unveil a substantial reduction in the spike protein binding capacity validated via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and quartz crystal microbalance experiments. Remarkably, the E-field exposure induces significant protein structure rearrangement, leading to an enhanced negative surface zeta potential confirmed by dynamic light scattering. Circular dichroism spectroscopy corroborates these structural changes, showing alterations in the secondary protein structures. This study provides insights into SARS-CoV-2 spike protein modification under an E-field pulse, potentially paving the way for nonbiochemical strategies to mitigate viral reactivity and opening avenues for innovative therapeutic and preventive approaches against COVID-19 and its evolving variants.
在寻求有效的新冠病毒治疗方法和疫苗的过程中，传统生化方法一直至关重要，但应对各种病毒突变体的挑战依然存在。最近的模拟研究提出了一种创新的物理策略，即对严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2）刺突蛋白施加外部电场，结果表明病毒结合潜力降低。然而，关于电场处理后刺突蛋白的特性，现有的实证知识有限。我们的研究通过采用多种分析技术来阐明低/中等电场强度对SARS-CoV-2刺突蛋白与血管紧张素转换酶2（ACE2）受体结合的影响，填补了这一空白。通过全面分析，我们发现经酶联免疫吸附测定和石英晶体微天平实验验证，刺突蛋白的结合能力大幅降低。值得注意的是，电场暴露会引起显著的蛋白质结构重排，动态光散射证实表面zeta负电位增强。圆二色光谱法证实了这些结构变化，表明蛋白质二级结构发生了改变。本研究深入了解了电场脉冲作用下SARS-CoV-2刺突蛋白的修饰情况，可能为减轻病毒反应性的非生化策略铺平道路，并为针对新冠病毒及其不断演变的变体的创新治疗和预防方法开辟途径。
