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A Fluorogenic Peptide Cleavage Assay to Screen for Proteolytic Activity: Applications for coronavirus spike protein activation
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Tau protein aggregation associated with SARS-CoV-2 main protease

Raphael Josef Eberle1,2, Mônika Aparecida Coronado1, Ian Gering1

  • 1Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany.

Plos One
|August 21, 2023
PubMed

Insights

The SARS-CoV-2 3CL protease may induce tau aggregation, a process implicated in neurodegeneration. This viral protease cleaves tau, potentially contributing to neuropathology following COVID-19 infection.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Neuroscience
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Virus proteases cleave viral polyproteins and host proteins, impacting viral pathogenicity and cellular functions.
  • COVID-19 infection is known to affect multiple organs, including the brain, with potential links to neurodegenerative processes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the potential role of SARS-CoV-2 3CL protease in inducing tau aggregation.
  • To explore the implications of this interaction in COVID-19-associated neuropathology.

Main Methods:

  • The study focused on the enzymatic activity of the SARS-CoV-2 3CL protease.
  • Investigated the cleavage of tau protein by the viral protease.

Main Results:

  • SARS-CoV-2 3CL protease was shown to proteolytically cleave tau protein.
  • This cleavage resulted in the generation of tau aggregates.

Conclusions:

  • The SARS-CoV-2 3CL protease may induce tau aggregation, a key feature of neurodegenerative diseases.
  • Further research is required to confirm if COVID-19 infection triggers neurodegenerative diseases through this mechanism.

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