Scientists of the Uppsa University in Sweden determined the molecular mechanism by which SARS-COV-2 takes control of human cells and uses them for their own reproduction. The results of the study published in the Nature Communications magazine will help to develop new drugs for the treatment of COVID-19.
To infect cells, viruses use peptide motifs interacting with cell proteins itself. The motives in this case are relatively short sequences of amino acids that are preserved during evolution. This is explained by the fact that mutations in them lead to the inability of motive to perform an important function, for example, to bind to certain areas of proteins with which the virus must interact.
Scientists managed to determine 269 interactions between coronavirus peptides and cell proteins, including the specific interaction between human G3BP1 / 2 human protein and the φxfg peptide motif in nucleicaxide (N) SARS-COV-2 protein. The relationship between G3BP1 / 2 and φxFG is important for replicating the virus and the destruction of stressful granules – the clusters of proteins and RNA in cytosol cells that participate in protective reactions.
It is shown that the peptide inhibitor that disrupts the interaction of G3BP1 / 2 and the nucleocapsid protein, suppressed SARS-COV-2 infection. Thus, the results of the study can directly help develop new specific antiviral drugs.