Autoantigens of Small Nerve Fibers and Human Coronavirus Antigens: Is There a Possibility for Molecular Mimicry?

Abstract

In post-COVID-19 syndrome, clinical presentation of the nerve fiber dysfunction plays an important role. The possibility of autoantigen cross-mimicry of human coronaviruses and the peripheral nervous system needs to be investigated. The bioinformatic analysis was applied to search for possible common protein sequences located in the immunoreactive epitopes. Among the autoantigens of the human nervous system, fibroblast growth factor receptor protein 3, myelin protein P0, myelin protein P2, sodium channel protein type 9, alpha protein subunit, plexin-D1 protein and ubiquitin-carboxyl-terminal hydrolase protein of the L1 isoenzyme were selected. The original “Alignmentaj” analytical program was created. The UniProt database, Protein Data Bank, and AlphaFold databases were used. The analysis of protein sequence similarities of spike glycoproteins in human coronaviruses revealed common pentapeptides of the MERS-CoV-2 virus with the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 and myelin protein P2. Among seasonal coronaviruses, common peptide sequences were identified in HCoV-HKU-1 virus with sodium channel protein type 9 subunit alpha and Plexin-D1, HCoV-OC43 with Plexin-D1, as well as HCoV-NL63 with Plexin-D1 and Ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase isozyme L1. Some shared peptides belong to immunoreactive epitopes. The most important targets for the molecular similarities are the sodium channel subunits and fibroblast growth factor receptor 3, both for seasonal and highly pathogenic coronaviruses. The data obtained make it possible to identify new potential targets for the development of autoimmune reactions that may occur against the background of the infections with highly pathogenic as well as seasonal coronaviruses.