title: Emodin blocks the SARS coronavirus spike protein and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 interaction.
abstract: Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is an emerging infectious disease caused by a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV). SARS-CoV spike (S) protein, a type I membrane-bound protein, is essential for the viral attachment to the host cell receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). By screening 312 controlled Chinese medicinal herbs supervised by Committee on Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy at Taiwan, we identified that three widely used Chinese medicinal herbs of the family Polygonaceae inhibited the interaction of SARS-CoV S protein and ACE2. The IC(50) values for Radix et Rhizoma Rhei (the root tubers of Rheum officinale Baill.), Radix Polygoni multiflori (the root tubers of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb.), and Caulis Polygoni multiflori (the vines of P. multiflorum Thunb.) ranged from 1 to 10 microg/ml. Emodin, an anthraquinone compound derived from genus Rheum and Polygonum, significantly blocked the S protein and ACE2 interaction in a dose-dependent manner. It also inhibited the infectivity of S protein-pseudotyped retrovirus to Vero E6 cells. These findings suggested that emodin may be considered as a potential lead therapeutic agent in the treatment of SARS.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biology Laboratory, Graduate Institute of Chinese Medical Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tin-Yun
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Shih-Lu
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Jaw-Chyun
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chia-Cheng
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chien-Yun
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Hsiang
mesh_terms: D000085962:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D017934:Coronavirus / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology; D004642:Emodin / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000378:metabolism*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry; D028502:Polygonum / Q000737:chemistry; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000187:drug effects; D012250:Rheum / Q000737:chemistry; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D064370:Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus; D014709:Vero Cells; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D064370:Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C578557:spike glycoprotein, SARS-CoV; C578553:spike protein, mouse hepatitis virus; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A; D000085962:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2; D004642:Emodin