Berbamine hydrochloride potently inhibits SARS-CoV-2 infection by blocking S protein-mediated membrane fusion

PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2022 Apr 25;16(4):e0010363. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010363. eCollection 2022 Apr.

Abstract

COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 has posed a significant threat to global public health since its outbreak in late 2019. Although there are a few drugs approved for clinical treatment to combat SARS-CoV-2 infection currently, the severity of the ongoing global pandemic still urges the efforts to discover new antiviral compounds. As the viral spike (S) protein plays a key role in mediating virus entry, it becomes a potential target for the design of antiviral drugs against COVID-19. Here, we tested the antiviral activity of berbamine hydrochloride, a bis-benzylisoquinoline alkaloid, against SARS-CoV-2 infection. We found that berbamine hydrochloride could efficiently inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection in different cell lines. Further experiments showed berbamine hydrochloride inhibits SARS-CoV-2 infection by targeting the viral entry into host cells. Moreover, berbamine hydrochloride and other bis-benzylisoquinoline alkaloids could potently inhibit S-mediated cell-cell fusion. Furthermore, molecular docking results implied that the berbamine hydrochloride could bind to the post fusion core of SARS-CoV-2 S2 subunit. Therefore, berbamine hydrochloride may represent a potential efficient antiviral agent against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antiviral Agents / pharmacology
  • Benzylisoquinolines* / pharmacology
  • COVID-19 Drug Treatment*
  • Humans
  • Membrane Fusion
  • Molecular Docking Simulation
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus
  • Virus Internalization

Substances

  • Antiviral Agents
  • Benzylisoquinolines
  • Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus
  • spike protein, SARS-CoV-2
  • berbamine

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Hubei Science and Technology Major Project (grant Nos. 2021ACB0003) awarded to HQY. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.