Lectins are a class of carbohydrate-binding proteins that may have antiviral activity by binding to the glycans on the virion surface to interfere with viral entry. We have identified a novel lectin (named Shictin) from Shiitake mushroom (Lentinula edodes)-derived vesicle-like nanoparticles (VLNs, or exosomes) that exhibits strong activity against the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant with an IC50 value of 87 nM. Shictin contains 298 amino acids and consists of two unique domains (N-terminal and C-terminal domain). The N-terminal domain is the carbohydrate-binding domain (CBD) that is homologous with CBDs of other lectins, suggesting that Shictin inhibits SARS-CoV-2 infection by binding to the glycans on the virion surface to prevent viral entry. This finding demonstrates that exosomes of vegetables are a valuable source for the identification of antiviral lectins. Therefore, it is believed that lectins from vegetable VLNs have potential as antiviral therapeutic agents.
Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; Shictin; exosomes; extracellular vesicles (EVs); lectin; shiitake mushroom; vegetable; vesicle-like nanoparticles (VLNs).