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RESEARCH PRODUCT
Molecular Basis of SARS-CoV-2 Nsp1-Induced Immune Translational Shutdown as Revealed by All-Atom Simulations.
Alessandra MagistratoJure BorišekAngelo Spinellosubject
virusesSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)VirulenceBiologyMolecular Dynamics SimulationViral Nonstructural ProteinsRibosomeImmune systemHumansGeneral Materials ScienceEukaryotic Small Ribosomal SubunitPhysical and Theoretical Chemistryskin and connective tissue diseasesRibosome Subunits Small EukaryoticMessenger RNANSP1SARS-CoV-2fungivirus diseasesCOVID-19Translation (biology)Hydrogen BondingCell biologybody regionsSettore CHIM/03 - Chimica Generale E InorganicaProtein Bindingdescription
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic represents the most severe global health crisis in modern human history. One of the major SARS-CoV-2 virulence factors is nonstructural protein 1 (Nsp1), which, outcompeting with the binding of host mRNA to the human ribosome, triggers a translation shutdown of the host immune system. Here, microsecond-long all-atom simulations of the C-terminal portion of the SARS-CoV-2/SARS-CoV Nsp1 in complex with the 40S ribosome disclose that SARS-CoV-2 Nsp1 has evolved from its SARS-CoV ortholog to more effectively hijack the ribosome by undergoing a critical switch of Q/E158 and E/Q159 residues that perfects Nsp1's interactions with the ribosome. Our outcomes offer a basis for understanding the sophisticated mechanisms underlying SARS-CoV-2 diversion and exploitation of human cell components to its deadly purposes.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-12-01 | The journal of physical chemistry letters |