Tinsley, Brea: Structural Analysis of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 Proteins: Exploring Mutations of Nsp13
Title: Structural Analysis of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 Proteins: Exploring Mutations of Nsp13
Name: Brea Tinsley
Home Institute: Youngstown State University
Programs: RISE program, Protein Data Bank
Other contributors: Alan Trudeau, Steven Arnold, Elliott Dolan, Changpeng Lu, Vidur Sarma, Zhuofan Shen, Maria Szegedy, Lingjun Xie, Christine Zardecki, Sagar D. Khare, and Stephen K. Burley
Abstract: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), discovered in December 2019, is responsible for the CoVid-19 global pandemic. The SARS-CoV-2 genome encodes sixteen non-structural proteins, many of which are essential for viral replication. Using the Protein Data Bank and various bioinformatics tools, we analyzed structure, sequence, and mutations of SARS-CoV-2 proteins. Non-structural proteins represent potential targets for discovery and development of small molecules that combat SARS-CoV-2.
The focus of this work is SARS-CoV-2 non-structural protein 13 (Nsp13), which functions as a helicase, unwinding double-stranded RNA. Nsp13 collaboratively works with a complex consisting of four other non-structural proteins (Nsp7, two copies of Nsp8, and Nsp12), which act as an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase to copy the viral genome. Studying the structure of Nsp13 will enhance our understanding of its mechanism of action at the atomic level and help identify ways to inhibit this important virally-encoded enzyme.
Biography: Brea Tinsley is from Warren, Ohio and is a rising senior at Youngstown State University. She is currently pursuing a degree in Biochemistry with minors in Mathematics and Spanish. After graduation, she plans to pursue a Ph.D in Toxicology in hopes of becoming a researcher in pathology. Brea is a member of many organizations at her university, such as Honors College, American Chemical Society, and STEM Leadership Society. She also studied abroad in Costa Rica in 2018. In her free time, Brea enjoys playing piano, singing, and drawing. After participation in RISE/PDB, Brea plans to continue her research at her home university until graduation in May 2021.