COVID-19 and Ribosomes

Overview of Artificial Ribosomes

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and can lead to respiratory tract infections and pneumonia. SARS-CoV-2 modulates host cell ribosome biology through multiple pathways, facilitating immune evasion and viral replication.

Fig. 1 SARS-CoV-2 regulates ribosome biogenesis in host cells through multiple pathways.¹

Immune Evasion via Cap Structure of SARS-Cov-2 RNA

To evade the immune system, SARS-CoV-2 adds a methyl group to the 2' hydroxyl of ribose molecules in key regions of the ribosome. The virus also uses cap-independent mechanisms to initiate translation, competing with host mRNA for ribosomes and translation factors through internal ribosome entry site (IRES) elements. Small molecules that target IRES structural changes may disrupt viral mRNA translation and inhibit infection. Compounds that inhibit IRES activity in other viruses have demonstrated therapeutic efficacy. Further mechanistic studies of these elements may provide valuable information for developing therapeutic drugs. Additionally, SARS-CoV-2 can also initiate translation directly through cap-dependent mechanisms after infecting host cells.

Producing SARS-Cov-2 Viral Proteins via Ribosomal Frameshifting

The novel coronavirus belongs to the coronavirus family and uses positive-sense RNA as its genome. To replicate itself, the virus needs to use the host cell's organelles and molecular tools. During the infection process, COVID-19 relies on the host cell's ribosomes to synthesize its own proteins. Specifically, coronaviruses hijack the cell's translation process through frameshifting to produce viral proteins. Studies have found that the virus RNA forms a pseudoknot structure at the entrance of the ribosome mRNA channel to promote frameshifting. This enables the virus to replicate, infect more cells and hosts, and increase its transmissibility. Therefore, ribosomes play a critical role in COVID-19 infection.

These studies reveal how SARS-CoV-2 virus takes over the translation machinery to promote its growth while suppressing the host's innate immune response. Targeted drugs can be developed by utilizing these characteristics to resist the virus. For example, merafloxacin can reduce SARS-CoV-2 viral titers by inhibiting frameshifting efficiency. Creative Biolabs has assembled a professional team dedicated to ribosome research, providing customized services for global customers, including but not limited to Ribosome Analysis Services and Ribosomal Marker Antibody Development Services. If you are interested in our ribosome services, please contact us immediately to obtain more information for free.

Reference

1. Jiao, Lijuan, et al. "Ribosome biogenesis in disease: new players and therapeutic targets." Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy 8.1 (2023): 15.