ABSTRACT
Introduction: The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) poses critical challenges for the public health, research, and medical communities worldwide. While vaccines were made available at record speed, there remains the need to develop effective therapeutic agents. Therefore, we evaluated the potential pharmaceutical role of naturally occurring antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) against SARS-CoV-2 by studying their peptide-protein interactions through computational analyses. Material(s) and Method(s): Antimicrobial peptides from the antimicrobial peptide database (APD3) were considered and shortlisted based on stringent physicochemical properties. Promising AMPs were subjected to 3D structure predictions by ab initio modeling, and the peptide best models were selected based on their higher confidence score (C-score). Schrodinger Maestro's protein preparation wizard was used to prepare and optimize the modelled peptides' structure. The spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 and peptide-protein docking were evaluated using the Piper module. Additionally, protein-protein non-bonding interactions were assessed. Furthermore, the stability of the top complex was subjected to explicit molecular dynamics. The study was funded by Malaysian Fundamental Research Grant Scheme [[ref no. FRGS/1/2020/SKK0/UNIKL/02/1]. Result(s) and Conclusion(s): Of the shortlisted thirty AMPs, five potential peptides that efficiently bound to the spike protein were identified based on the lowest Piper energy scores - HD-5, Rat NP-4, Kalata B8, HFIAP-3, and Circulin D. These potential AMPs were further analysed by molecular dynamic simulations to verify the stability of the docked complexes, and HD-5 was observed to have robust interaction with the spike protein. Thus, the findings of the computational analyses highlight the antiviral potential of AMPs in inhibiting host cell entry of SARS-CoV-2 and could serve as anti-SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic candidates, and further future in vitro and in vivo experimental studies are warranted.
ABSTRACT
Corona virus is causing a remarkable varity of animal and human diseases. Animals are considered as the primary source of severe corona virus infection such as SARS, MERS, and recently SARS-CoV-2 viral infections. From the early spread of the resent SARSCoV- 2 pandemic from the seafood market located at the centre of Wuhan, China, late 2019;there are increasing the concern of corona virus infected animals, including aquatic animals. However, limited studies and resources of aquatic viral infections are available compared with human and animal viral infection studies. Although a varity of viral pathogens infect the aquatic animals and related to viral families that caused diseases to humans and domestic animals, corona viruses are one of these viruses that include: alphacorona virus, beta-corona virus, and gamma- corona virus, these viruses could infect birds and mammals, in addition to aquatic mammals and fishes causing different clinical manifestation associated with pulmonary and hepatic diseases in Belgua whale;mild or asymptomatic signs in dolphins;an outbreak in the Harbour seal with a respiratory illness caused by alpha corona virus;and haemorrhage in fin base with exophthalmia that cause by bafini virus. Because of limited studies that highlight the impact of aquatic animals in spreading viral infections to humans. So, current review aims to give an insight into the role of aquatic animals in resent SARS-CoV-2 pandemic from the very recent published studies. This review suggested that it is unlikely that SARS-CoV-2 could be transmitted from aquatic animals to humans, and there is no supportive evidence to support this role.
ABSTRACT
Corona virus is causing a remarkable varity of animal and human diseases. Animals are considered as the primary source of severe corona virus infection such as SARS, MERS, and recently SARS-CoV-2 viral infections. From the early spread of the resent SARS-CoV-2 pandemic from the seafood market located at the centre of Wuhan, China, late 2019;there are increasing the concern of corona virus infected animals, including aquatic animals. However, limited studies and resources of aquatic viral infections are available compared with human and animal viral infection studies. Although a varity of viral pathogens infect the aquatic animals and related to viral families that caused diseases to humans and domestic animals, corona viruses are one of these viruses that include: alpha-corona virus, beta-corona virus, and gamma-corona virus, these viruses could infect birds and mammals, in addition to aquatic mammals and fishes causing different clinical manifestation associated with pulmonary and hepatic diseases in Belgua whale;mild or asymptomatic signs in dolphins;an outbreak in the Harbour seal with a respiratory illness caused by alpha corona virus;and haemorrhage in fin base with exophthalmia that cause by bafini virus. Because of limited studies that highlight the impact of aquatic animals in spreading viral infections to humans. So, current review aims to give an insight into the role of aquatic animals in resent SARS-CoV-2 pandemic from the very recent published studies. This review suggested that it is unlikely that SARS-CoV-2 could be transmitted from aquatic animals to humans, and there is no supportive evidence to support this role. © 2020, Veterinary Practitioner. All rights reserved.