The recent pandemic has reminded the public that basic research in virology is pivotal for human health. Understanding the mechanisms of successful viral replication and the role of host factors can help to combat viral infections and prevent future pandemics. Our lab has published the first SARS-CoV-2 RNA-protein interaction atlas, laying the foundation to investigate the interplay between viral RNA and host RNA binding proteins (RBP). Based on this, my project created the largest collection of binding profiles of host and viral RBPs on SARS-CoV-2 RNA to date. This revealed the host protein SND1 as the first human RBP that specifically binds negative sense viral RNA at the 5´ end, a region associated with viral transcription initiation. The binding profile shares similarities with the viral RBP nsp9, which binds the 5´ ends of positive and negative sense SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Depletion of SND1 shows reduced levels of viral RNA revealing it as a proviral host factor. To decode the underlying molecular mechanism, I characterized the protein-protein interactions of SND1 in SARS-CoV-2 infected and uninfected cells. Infection remodels the protein interactors of SND1 from general RNA biology to membrane association and viral RNA synthesis. Upon infection, SND1 specifically interacts with nsp9, the RBP that shares the same binding region on the negative strand of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Recent work demonstrates that nsp9 is NMPylated in vitro suggesting a functional role of nsp9 in priming of viral RNA synthesis. I was able to show that nsp9 is covalently linked to the 5´ ends of SARS-CoV-2 RNA during infection of human cells. Analysing the covalent bond of nsp9 with the viral RNA on nucleotide level shows close proximity to the initiation sites of viral RNA synthesis, suggesting that nsp9 acts as a protein-primer of SARS-CoV-2 RNA synthesis. SND1 modulates the distribution of nsp9 on the viral RNA, since depletion of SND1 results in imbalanced occupancy of nsp9 at the 5´ends of viral RNA. This study is the first to provide evidence for the priming mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 in authentic viral replication and further reveals how this mechanism is modulated by the host RBP SND1. Detailed knowledge about priming of viral RNA synthesis can help to find targeted antivirals that could be used to fight coronaviral infections. / Die letzte Pandemie zeigte erneut, das Grundlagenforschung im Bereich der Virologie essentiell für die Gesundheit des Menschen ist. Das Wissen über Schlüsselelemente erfolgreicher viraler Replikation und der Relevanz humaner Proteine darin kann helfen Infektionen zu bekämpfen und künftige Pandemien zu verhindern. Unser Labor publizierte das erste SARS-CoV-2 RNA Protein-Interaktom und legte dabei den Grundstein für die Forschung am Zwischenspiel viraler RNA und humanen RNA Bindeproteinen (RBPs). Basierend darauf, generierte mein Projekt die bislang größte Sammlung an Bindeprofilen humaner sowie viraler RBPs auf der SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Dabei zeigte sich der Wirtsfaktor SND1 als das erste human RBP das in der Lage ist den Negativstrang der viral RNA zu binden, spezifisch an dessen 5´ Ende welches mit der Transkriptionsinitiierung assoziiert ist. Diese Bindestelle ist ähnlich zu dem viralen RBP nsp9, welches die 5´ Enden der positiv und negativ RNA bindet. Das Fehlen von SND1 in der Wirtszelle führt zu reduzierten Mengen viraler RNA und impliziert daher einen proviralen Einfluss von SND1. Um den zugrundeliegenden molekularen Mechanismus zu verstehen, betrachtete ich die Protein-Protein Interaktionen von SND1 in SARS-CoV-2 infizierten und uninfizierten Zellen. Dabei zeigte sich, dass durch die Infektion die Interaktionspartner von SND1 von genereller RNA Biologie zu Membranassoziierung sowie viraler RNA Synthese verschiebt. Mit Infektion der Zelle interagiert SND1 spezifisch mit nsp9, das RBP welches dieselbe Binderegion am Negativstrang mit SND1 auf der SARS-CoV-2 RNA teilt. Neuste in vitro Studien zeigen, dass nsp9 NMPyliert wird und deuten damit eine Relevanz von nsp9 in Priming an. Ich konnte im Kontext authentischer viraler Replikation zeigen, dass nsp9 kovalent an die 5´ Enden der SARS-CoV-2 RNA gebunden ist. Bei genauerer Untersuchung der kovalenten Bindung von nsp9 an der viralen RNA auf Nukleotidebene zeigt, dass diese Nahe der Initiationsstelle der Transkription liegen, was eine Relevanz von nsp9 als Protein-Primer in der SARS-CoV-2 RNA Synthese impliziert. Die Richtige Verteilung von nsp9 auf der viralen RNA wird von SND1 moduliert, da Abwesenheit von SND1 zu einem Ungleichgewicht von nsp9 an den 5´ Enden führt. XII Diese Studie ist die Erste, die Evidenzen für den Primingmechanismus von SARS-CoV-2 in authentischer viraler Replikation zeigt und wie diese durch SND1 moduliert wird. Detailliertes Wissen über das Priming viraler RNA Synthese kann dabei helfen gezielte nach antiviralen Substanzen zu suchen, die dabei helfen könnten Infektionen durch Coronaviren zu bekämpfen.

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Zoology / Master / Master of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Pathology / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / abstract / Zoology / Master / Master of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Statistics and Actuarial Science / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Microbiology / Master / Master of Medical Sciences

Als Vorlage für diese Inhibitoren diente der kovalent gebundene Inhibitor 9IN aus der Kristallstruktur 2AMD. Die Entwicklung der neuen Leitstruktur (Abbildung 7-1) erfolgte dabei durch Fragmentierung mit dem Programm FRED im Arbeitskreis Prof. Knut Baumann (Univ. Braunschweig). Die dargestellten Verbindungen wurden als nicht-kovalent gebundene Inhibitoren entwickelt und sowohl an SARS-CoV-Mpro als auch an SARSCoV-PLpro getestet. Da die Basisverbindung 34j (R = H) in durchgeführten Dockingstudien die Enzym-Bindetaschen S1, S2 und S4 bereits ausreichend besetzt hatte, war das Ziel v.a. die noch freie Bindetasche S1‘ mit eingefügten Resten R zu besetzen. Dazu wurden in der Reihe 34a-t verschiedene Alkylreste eingefügt. Die Verbindungen 37a-cc bzw. 38a-p besitzen hingegen die Reste C(O)NHR, CO2R, CH2C(O)NHR und CH2CO2R. Im Verlauf der Synthese wurde der teure Baustein 4-Methylcyclohexancarbonsäure durch die günstigere Verbindung Cyclohexancarbonsäure ersetzt. Keine der dargestellten Verbindungen wies eine besondere Hemmung auf. Trotz geringer Hemmung konnte Verbindung 34e mit dem Enzym SARS-CoV-Mpro co-kristallisiert werden. Die genaue Lage des Inhibitors in der Bindetasche ist bislang noch nicht eindeutig geklärt. Der zweite Teil der vorliegenden Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Entwicklung von kovalent-reversiblen Inhibitoren von Cysteinproteasen auf Grundlage von Vinylsulfonen. Bisherige bekannte Vinylsulfone reagieren wie ein Michaelsystem in einer irreversiblen Addition. Es wurden durch QM-Rechnungen in der Arbeitsgruppe Prof. Bernd Engels substituierte Vinylsulfone vorgeschlagen, die fähig sein sollten, mit Cysteinproteasen eine kovalent-reversible Bindung eingehen zu können. Durch die Wahl sowohl eines geeigneten Substituenten als auch einer geeigneten Abgangsgruppe sollte die Reaktion reversibel sein, wenn sie thermoneutral bis schwach endergon verläuft. Um diese Berechnungen zu bestätigen, wurden die dargestellten Verbindungen mit einem Überschuss 2-Phenylethanthiol umgesetzt und der Reaktionsverlauf durch NMR-Spektroskopie verfolgt. Dabei konnte die Einstellung eines Gleichgewichts und damit auch die Reversibilität der Reaktion beobachtet werden. Aus den berechneten Gleichgewichtskonstanten konnten die freien Reaktionsenergien ΔG berechnet werden. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Reaktionen nahezu thermoneutral verlaufen und bestätigen damit die QM-Berechnungen. / The covalently bound inhibitor 9IN (pdb-code: 2AMD) was the basis of these new synthesized inhibitors (figure 8-1). The development of this new lead structure was achieved in the group of Knut Baumann (Univ. Braunschweig) by fragmentation using the program FRED. The compounds were developed as non-covalent inhibitors and were tested against both SARS-CoV-Mpro and SARS-CoV-PLpro. In the docking studies compound 34j (R=H) occupied the binding pockets S1, S2 and S4 of the enzyme sufficiently. So the aim was to fill the remaining binding pocket S1’ with a side-chain (R). Different alkyl sidechains were attached yielding compounds 34a-t. The compounds 37a-cc and 38a-p are carrying the side-chains C(O)NHR, CO2R, CH2C(O)NHR and CH2CO2R. Furthermore, the expensive building block 4-methylcyclohexanecarboxylic acid was replaced by the cheaper cyclohexanecarboxylic acid. None of the synthesized compounds showed good inhibition. But despite the low inhibition potency compound 34e was successfully co-crystallized with SARS-CoV-Mpro. Up to now the binding mode of the inhibitor in the binding pocket is not clear. Ongoing studies will clarify the exact binding mode of the inhibitor. The second part of this work consists of the development of covalent-reversible inhibitors of cysteineproteases based on vinylsulfones. Known inhibitors with a vinylsulfone-system react via an irreversible addition with the active center similar to a Michael-system. Substituted vinylsulfones were developed by QM-calculations in the group of Prof. Bernd Engels (Univ. Wuerzburg). These systems were postulated to be able to form a covalent-reversible bond with the cysteine sulfur in the active site. The reversible reaction should be possible by choosing a suitable substituent and a suitable leaving group. The reaction energy must be thermoneutral or weakly endergonic. To confirm these calculations the synthesized compounds were reacted with 2-phenylethanethiol and the reaction paths and progress were observed by NMR-spectroscopy. The reaction was found to be reversible. The reaction energies ΔG were calculated from the measured equilibrium constants. The results show that the measured vinylsulfones are reacting nearly thermoneutral. Thus they verify the QM-calculations.

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) virus encodes several unusual RNA processing enzymes, including Nsp15, an endoribonuclease that preferentially cleaves 3? of uridylates through a Ribonuclease A-like mechanism. Crystal structures of Nsp15 confirmed that the Nsp15 active site is structurally similar to that of Ribonuclease A. These similarities and our molecular docking analysis lead us to hypothesize that previously characterized Ribonuclease A inhibitors will also inhibit the SARS-CoV Nsp15. Benzopurpurin B, C-467929, C-473872, N-36711, N-65828, N-103018 and Congo red were tested for effects on Nsp15 endoribonuclease activity. A real-time fluorescence assay revealed that the IC50 values for inhibiting Nsp15 were between 0.2 ?M and 40 ?M. Benzopurpurin B, C-473872, and Congo red are competitive inhibitors, according to kinetic studies and were demonstrated to bind SARS-CoV Nsp15 by a differential scanning fluorimetry assay. Benzopurpurin B also inhibited the Nsp15 orthologs from two other coronaviruses: mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) and infectious bronchitis virus. The three compounds reduced infectivity of MHV in L2 cells by 8 to 26 fold. The more effective drugs also caused a decrease in MHV RNA accumulation.

In the year of 2003, the SARS epidemic was spreading in our country, lasting for almost 4 months. Until July 5,2003, there were 346 confirmed victims. Among them,37 died directly of SARS, which is shown in their death certificates. Numbers of medical workers infected were 68,19.7%. During the SARS epidemic.6 hospitals were reported transmissions inside their wards and were closed. In the duration, Taiwan was once the most significant spread region of the disease in the world. General public, patients and their family members, and health-care workers were all unprecedented threatened. During the epidemic, health-care workers faced unfamiliar, insecure, critical menace strong contagious and of high mortality circumstances. What did this affect first line health-care workers? This research was done in three dimensions , work value, Organizational Commitment and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, sampling every grade of health-care workers in teaching hospitals and above national wide between Dec. 20, 2003 and Jan. 20, 2004. The design of questionnaire was based on level of hospitals, divided into medical centers, regional hospitals and local teaching hospitals. 282 of the questionnaires were returned and valid, including 42 doctors, 130 nurses, and 110 hospital staffs, representing a response rate of 31.33%. One way ANOVA and Independent T test were conducted in the research to analyze characteristics of workers and differences between hospital organizations. Correlation analysis and regression analysis were used to find their relationships. The research has shown that while facing SARS epidemic, health-care workers : 1.with the change of work values, nurses scored highest ,then others, and doctors lowest; with positional type social status, activity preference and job involvement, high and middle level administrator got better grade than professional and basic level worker; with attitude toward earning, basic level worker acquired highest scores and high level administrator lowest; with activity preference¤Îpride in work, regional hospital obtained the highest score while the medical center got the lowest. 2.with the transition of Organizational Commitment, in terms of position, high level administrator is highest, while basic level worker is lowest; in respect of referee, regional hospital graded highest while medical center lowest; in view of marital status, people who are unmarried are better than those who are married. 3.with the,PTSD, considering referee of hospital, medical centers are highest; in terms of ownership,private hospital is highest and religional hospital is lowest. 4.workers who considered that the hospitals took proper protections have better Organizational Commitment and their PTSD are lower.