Evidence that Maackia amurensis seed lectin (MASL) exerts pleiotropic actions on oral squamous cells with potential to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 disease progression

Journal Article · Tue Jun 15 04:00:00 EDT 2021 · Experimental Cell Research

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/J.YEXCR.2021.112594· OSTI ID:23195294

Sheehan, Stephanie A.; Hamilton, Kelly L.; Retzbach, Edward P. ^[1]; Balachandran, Premalatha ^[2]; Krishnan, Harini ^[3]; others, and

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1. Department of Molecular Biology, And Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, School of Osteopathic Medicine, Rowan University, Stratford, NJ, 08084 (United States)
2. National Center for Natural Products Research, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, MS, 38677 (United States)
3. Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY, 11794-8661 (United States)

COVID-19 was declared an international public health emergency in January, and a pandemic in March of 2020. There are over 125 million confirmed COVID-19 cases that have caused over 2.7 million deaths worldwide as of March 2021. COVID-19 is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. SARS-CoV-2 presents a surface “spike” protein that binds to the ACE2 receptor to infect host cells. In addition to the respiratory tract, SARS-Cov-2 can also infect cells of the oral mucosa, which also express the ACE2 receptor. The spike and ACE2 proteins are highly glycosylated with sialic acid modifications that direct viral-host interactions and infection. Maackia amurensis seed lectin (MASL) has a strong affinity for sialic acid modified proteins and can be used as an antiviral agent. Here, we report that MASL targets the ACE2 receptor, decreases ACE2 expression and glycosylation, suppresses binding of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, and decreases expression of inflammatory mediators by oral epithelial cells that cause ARDS in COVID-19 patients. In addition, we report that MASL also inhibits SARS-CoV-2 infection of kidney epithelial cells in culture. This work identifies MASL as an agent with potential to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 related inflammatory syndromes.

• OSTI ID: 23195294
• Journal Information: Experimental Cell Research, Journal Name: Experimental Cell Research Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 403; ISSN 0014-4827; ISSN ECREAL
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES
CORONAVIRUSES
DEATH
INFLAMMATION
KIDNEYS
LECTINS
MUCOUS MEMBRANES
PATIENTS
PUBLIC HEALTH
RECEPTORS
SIALIC ACID