Molecular mimicry between SARS-CoV-2 and human proteins.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Adiguzel Y
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7890341 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Molecular mimicry between viral antigens and host proteins can produce cross-reacting antibodies leading to autoimmunity. The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 causes COVID-19, a disease curiously resulting in varied symptoms and outcomes, ranging from asymptomatic to fatal. Autoimmunity due to cross-reacting antibodies resulting from molecular mimicry between viral antigens and host proteins may provide an explanation. Thus, we computationally investigated molecular mimicry between SARS-CoV-2 Spike and known epitopes. We discovered molecular mimicry hotspots in Spike and highlight two examples with tentative high autoimmune potential and implications for understanding COVID-19 complications. We show that a TQLPP motif in Spike and thrombopoietin shares similar antibody binding properties. Antibodies cross-reacting with thrombopoietin may induce thrombocytopenia, a condition observed in COVID-19 patients. Another motif, ELDKY, is shared in multiple human proteins, such as PRKG1 involved in platelet activation and calcium regulation, and tropomyosin, which is linked to cardiac disease. Antibodies cross-reacting with PRKG1 and tropomyosin may cause known COVID-19 complications such as blood-clotting disorders and cardiac disease, respectively. Our findings illuminate COVID-19 pathogenesis and highlight the importance of considering autoimmune potential when developing therapeutic interventions to reduce adverse reactions.
| S-EPMC9318917 | biostudies-literature
Project description:SARS-CoV-2 can trigger autoimmune central nervous system (CNS) diseases in genetically susceptible individuals, a mechanism poorly understood. Molecular mimicry (MM) has been identified in other viral diseases as potential triggers of autoimmune CNS events. This study investigated if MM is the process through which SARS-CoV-2 induces the breakdown of immune tolerance. The frequency of autoimmune CNS disorders was evaluated in a prospective cohort with patients admitted to the COVID-19 Intense Care Unity (ICU) in Rio de Janeiro. Then, an in silico analysis was performed to identify the conserved regions that share a high identity between SARS-CoV-2 antigens and human proteins. The sequences with significant identity and antigenic properties were then assessed for their binding capacity to HLA subtypes. Of the 112 patients included, 3 were classified as having an autoimmune disorder. A total of eleven combinations had significant linear and three-dimensional overlap. NMDAR1, MOG, and MPO were the self-antigens with more significant combinations, followed by GAD65. All sequences presented at least one epitope with strong or intermediate binding capacity to the HLA subtypes selected. This study underscores the possibility that CNS autoimmune attacks observed in COVID-19 patients, including those in our population, could be driven by MM in genetically predisposed individuals.
| S-EPMC10745528 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundAutoimmune response after the infection of SARS-COV-2 is evident as more cases of Guillain Barre syndrome and Kawasaki disease are diagnosed. In this study, we aim to investigate a possible mechanism of autoimmune lung injury.MethodsWe extracted the peptide sequences of surface proteins of the SARS-COV-2 from the NCBI data protein. We used Blastp to assess the homologous sequences between the human proteins in the UNIPROT database that are associated with respiratory distress. Then, we filtered the homologous sequences to those selectively expressed in the lung and homologous to surface viral proteins. We then assessed the epitope sequences for MHC-I and MHC-II using recommended settings and reference MHC in the IEDB database.ResultsHomeobox protein 2.1 (NKX2-1) and ATP-binding cassette sub-family A member 3 (ABCA3) showed homologous sequence to both surface glycoproteins and envelope proteins. The HLA-DR and HLA-DQ had a similar binding pattern to ABCA3 as surface glycoproteins and envelope proteins, respectively. Other HLA molecules that had a similar binding pattern to SARS-COV-2 as human proteins were HLA-A and HLA-DP.ConclusionOur study indicates that there is a possible autoimmune mechanism underlying the acute respiratory distress syndrome in SARS-COV-2.
| S-EPMC7859657 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionOogenesis, the process of egg production by the ovary, involves a complex differentiation program leading to the production of functional oocytes. This process comprises a sequential pathway of steps that are finely regulated. The question related to SARS-CoV-2 infection and fertility has been evoked for several reasons, including the mechanism of molecular mimicry, which may contribute to female infertility by leading to the generation of deleterious autoantibodies, possibly contributing to the onset of an autoimmune disease in infected patients.ObjectiveThe immunological potential of the peptides shared between SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein and oogenesis-related proteins; Thus we planned a systematic study to improve our understanding of the possible effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on female fertility using the angle of molecular mimicry as a starting point.MethodsA library of 82 human proteins linked to oogenesis was assembled at random from UniProtKB database using oogenesis, uterine receptivity, decidualization, and placentation as a key words. For the analyses, an artificial polyprotein was built by joining the 82 a sequences of the oogenesis-associated proteins. These were analyzed by searching the Immune Epitope DataBase for immunoreactive SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein epitopes hosting the shared pentapeptides.ResultsSARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein was found to share 41 minimal immune determinants, that is, pentapeptides, with 27 human proteins that relate to oogenesis, uterine receptivity, decidualization, and placentation. All the shared pentapeptides that we identified, with the exception of four, are also present in SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein-derived epitopes that have been experimentally validated as immunoreactive.
| S-EPMC8420155 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe factors driving the late phase of COVID-19 are still poorly understood. However, autoimmunity is an evolving theme in COVID-19's pathogenesis. Additionally, deregulation of human retroelements (RE) is found in many viral infections, and has also been reported in COVID-19.ResultsUnexpectedly, coronaviruses (CoV) - including SARS-CoV-2 - harbour many RE-identical sequences (up to 35 base pairs), and some of these sequences are part of SARS-CoV-2 epitopes associated to COVID-19 severity. Furthermore, RE are expressed in healthy controls and human cells and become deregulated after SARS-CoV-2 infection, showing mainly changes in long interspersed nuclear element (LINE1) expression, but also in endogenous retroviruses.ConclusionCoV and human RE share coding sequences, which are targeted by antibodies in COVID-19 and thus could induce an autoimmune loop by molecular mimicry.
| S-EPMC8992427 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 infection has been associated with Guillain-Barré syndrome. We investigated here the potential mechanism underlying the virus-induced damage of the peripheral nervous systems by searching the viral amino acid sequence for peptides common to human autoantigens associated with immune-mediated polyneuropathies. Our results show molecular mimicry between the virus and human heat shock proteins 90 and 60, which are associated with Guillain-Barré syndrome and other autoimmune diseases. Crucially, the shared peptides are embedded in immunoreactive epitopes that have been experimentally validated in the human host.
| S-EPMC7387880 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Molecular mimicry between human and microbial/viral/parasite peptides is common and has long been associated with the etiology of autoimmune disorders provoked by exogenous pathogens. A growing body of evidence accumulated in recent years suggests a strong correlation between SARS-CoV-2 infection and autoimmunity. The article analyzes the immunogenic potential of the peptides shared between the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein (S-protein) and antigens of human endocrinocytes involved in most common autoimmune endocrinopathies. A total of 14 pentapeptides shared by the SARS-CoV-2 S-protein, thyroid, pituitary, adrenal cortex autoantigens and beta-cells of the islets of Langerhans were identified, all of them belong to the immunoreactive epitopes of SARS-CoV-2. The discussion of the findings relates the results to the clinical correlates of COVID-19-associated autoimmune endocrinopathies. The most common of these illnesses is an autoimmune thyroid disease, so the majority of shared pentapeptides belong to the marker autoantigens of this disease. The most important in pathogenesis of severe COVID-19, according to the authors, may be autoimmunity against adrenals because their adequate response prevents excessive systemic action of the inflammatory mediators causing cytokine storm and hemodynamic shock. A critique of the antigenic mimicry concept is given with an assertion that peptide sharing is not a guarantee but only a prerequisite for provoking autoimmunity based on the molecular mimicry. The latter event occurs in carriers of certain HLA haplotypes and when a shared peptide is only used in antigen processing.
| S-EPMC9504401 | biostudies-literature
Project description:This study calls attention on molecular mimicry and the consequent autoimmune cross reactivity as the molecular mechanism that can cause adverse events following meningococcal B vaccination and warns against active immunizations based on entire antigen.
| S-EPMC10653992 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background Contrary to immunological expectations, decay of adaptive responses against severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) characterizes recovered patients compared with patients who had a severe disease course or died following SARS-CoV-2 infection. This raises the question of the causes of the virus-induced immune immunosuppression. Searching for molecular link(s) between SARS-CoV-2 immunization and the decay of the adaptive immune responses, SARS-CoV-2 proteome was analyzed for molecular mimicry with human proteins related to immunodeficiency. The aim was to verify the possibility of cross-reactions capable of destroying the adaptive immune response triggered by SARS-CoV-2. Materials and Methods Human immunodeficiency-related proteins were collected from UniProt database and analyzed for sharing of minimal immune determinants with the SARS-CoV-2 proteome. Results Molecular mimicry and consequent potential cross-reactivity exist between SARS-CoV-2 proteome and human immunoregulatory proteins such as nuclear factor kappa B (NFKB), and variable diversity joining V(D)J recombination-activating gene (RAG). Conclusion The data (1) support molecular mimicry and the associated potential cross-reactivity as a mechanism that can underlie self-reactivity against proteins involved in B- and T-cells activation/development, and (2) suggest that the extent of the immunosuppression is dictated by the extent of the immune responses themselves. The higher the titer of the immune responses triggered by SARS-CoV-2 immunization, the more severe can be the cross-reactions against the human immunodeficiency-related proteins, the more severe the immunosuppression. Hence, SARS-CoV-2-induced immunosuppression can be defined as a molecular mimicry syndrome. Clinically, the data imply that booster doses of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines may have opposite results to those expected.
| S-EPMC9282940 | biostudies-literature
Project description: Not available
| S-EPMC7499017 | biostudies-literature