Products/Services Used | Details | Operation |
---|---|---|
Gene Synthesis> | The viroporin gene constructs were cloned into the pXOOM vector59 between the BamHI and NotI restriction sites with a Kozak sequence (5′-ACCATG-3′, initiator ATG underlined) following the BamHI site. Gene synthesis and cloning was performed at GenScript (USA). | Get A Quote |
The dire need for COVID-19 treatments has inspired strategies of repurposing approved drugs. Amantadine has been suggested as a candidate, and cellular as well as clinical studies have indicated beneficial effects of this drug. We demonstrate that amantadine and hexamethylene-amiloride (HMA), but not rimantadine, block the ion channel activity of Protein E from SARS-CoV-2, a conserved viroporin among coronaviruses. These findings agree with their binding to Protein E as evaluated by solution NMR and molecular dynamics simulations. Moreover, we identify two novel viroporins of SARS-CoV-2; ORF7b and ORF10, by showing ion channel activity in a X. laevis oocyte expression system. Notably, amantadine also blocks the... More