Publications
Journal of medical virologySep 2022 DOI:
10.1002/jmv.28124

Native and activated antithrombin inhibits TMPRSS2 activity and SARS-CoV-2 infection

Wettstein, Lukas; Immenschuh, Patrick; Weil, Tatjana; Conzelmann, Carina; Almeida-Hernández, Yasser; Hoffmann, Markus; Kempf, Amy; Nehlmeier, Inga; Lotke, Rishikesh; Petersen, Moritz; Stenger, Steffen; Kirchhoff, Frank; Sauter, Daniel; Pöhlmann, Stefan; Sanchez-Garcia, Elsa; Münch, Jan
Product Used
NGS
Abstract
Host cell proteases such as TMPRSS2 are critical determinants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) tropism and pathogenesis. Here, we show that antithrombin (AT), an endogenous serine protease inhibitor regulating coagulation, is a broad-spectrum inhibitor of coronavirus infection. Molecular docking and enzyme activity assays demonstrate that AT binds and inhibits TMPRSS2, a serine protease that primes the Spike proteins of coronaviruses for subsequent fusion. Consequently, AT blocks entry driven by the Spikes of SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, hCoV-229E, SARS-CoV-2 and its variants of concern including Omicron, and suppresses lung cell infection with genuine SARS-CoV-2. Thus, AT is an endogenous inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 that may be involved in COVID-19 pathogenesis. We further demonstrate that activation of AT by anticoagulants, such as heparin or fondaparinux, increases the anti-TMPRSS2 and anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity of AT, suggesting that repurposing of native and activated AT for COVID-19 treatment should be explored.
Product Used
NGS

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