The Sea Cucumber Thyonella gemmata Contains a Low Anticoagulant Sulfated Fucan with High Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Actions against Wild-Type and Delta Variants

J Nat Prod. 2023 Jun 23;86(6):1463-1475. doi: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.3c00151. Epub 2023 Jun 12.

Abstract

In this work, we isolated two new sulfated glycans from the body wall of the sea cucumber Thyonella gemmata: one fucosylated chondroitin sulfate (TgFucCS) (17.5 ± 3.5% kDa) and one sulfated fucan (TgSF) (383.3 ± 2.1% kDa). NMR results showed the TgFucCS backbone composed of [→3)-β-N-acetylgalactosamine-(1→4)-β-glucuronic acid-(1→] with 70% 4-sulfated and 30% 4,6-disulfated GalNAc units and one-third of the GlcA units decorated at the C3 position with branching α-fucose (Fuc) units either 4-sulfated (65%) or 2,4-disulfated (35%) and the TgSF structure composed of a tetrasaccharide repeating unit of [→3)-α-Fuc2,4S-(1→2)-α-Fuc4S-(1→3)-α-Fuc2S-(1→3)-α-Fuc2S-(1→]n. Inhibitory properties of TgFucCS and TgSF were investigated using SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus coated with S-proteins of the wild-type (Wuhan-Hu-1) or the delta (B.1.617.2) strains and in four different anticoagulant assays, comparatively with unfractionated heparin. Molecular binding to coagulation (co)-factors and S-proteins was investigated by competitive surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy. Among the two sulfated glycans tested, TgSF showed significant anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity against both strains together with low anticoagulant properties, indicating a good candidate for future studies in drug development.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anticoagulants / pharmacology
  • COVID-19*
  • Heparin
  • Polysaccharides / chemistry
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Sea Cucumbers* / chemistry
  • Sulfates / chemistry

Substances

  • Anticoagulants
  • fucoidan
  • Sulfates
  • Heparin
  • Polysaccharides

Supplementary concepts

  • SARS-CoV-2 variants