Functionalized Fullerene Potentially Inhibits SARS-CoV-2 Infection by Modulating Spike Protein Conformational Changes

Abstract

The disease of SARS-CoV-2 has caused considerable morbidity and mortality globally. Spike proteins on the surface of SARS-CoV-2 allow it to bind with human cells, leading to infection. Fullerenes and their derivatives are promising SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors and drug-delivery vehicles. In this study, Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics simulations and the Markov state model were employed to delve into the inhibitory mechanism of Fullerene–linear-polyglycerol-b-amine sulfate (F–LGPS) on spike proteins. During the study, it was discovered that fullerene derivatives can operate at the interface of the receptor-binding domain (RBD) and the N-terminal domain (NTD), keeping structural domains in a downward conformation. It was also observed that F-LGPS demonstrated superior inhibitory effects on the XBB variant in comparison to the wild-type variant. This study yielded invaluable insights for the potential development of efficient therapeutics targeting the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2.