Purification and characterisation of heparin-like sulfated polysaccharides with potent anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity from snail mucus of Achatina fulica.

Heparin-like sulfated polysaccharide, acharan sulfate, was purified from the mucus of an African giant snail with unique sulfated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). This study reported on finding novel and safe heparin resources from Achatina fulica for further use as well as easy isolation and purification of the active fraction from the initial raw material. Its structure was characterised by a strong-anion exchange combined with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.

Biological properties of reverse ankyrin engineered for dimer construction to enhance HIV-1 capsid interaction.

Background: Assembly and budding in the late-stage of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) production rely on Gag protein polymerization at the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane. We previously generated a monomeric ankyrin repeat protein (Ank1D4) that specifically interacts with capsid protein (CAp24) of HIV-1, however this protein had modest binding affinity.

Objective: This study aimed to improve the avidity of Ank1D4 by generating two Ank1D4 dimers: (Ank1D4NC-NC) and its inverted form (Ank1D4NC-CN), with each domain connected by a flexible (G4S)4 linker peptide.

Mutational scanning of spike RBD protein for enhanced ACE2 affinity emerging Southeast Asia in the late transmission phase.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the quality of life and economic systems all over the world, as the virus can be transmitted from human to human via air-droplets. Since the SARS-CoV-2 virus was first identified in 2019, the virus has naturally mutated over time. Southeast Asia is one of the areas in the world that has implemented various procedures and measures to slow down the disease outbreaks.