Structural highlights
Function
A0A6H1PJZ3_SARS2 Spike protein S1: attaches the virion to the cell membrane by interacting with host receptor, initiating the infection.[HAMAP-Rule:MF_04099] Spike protein S2': Acts as a viral fusion peptide which is unmasked following S2 cleavage occurring upon virus endocytosis.[HAMAP-Rule:MF_04099] Spike protein S2: mediates fusion of the virion and cellular membranes by acting as a class I viral fusion protein. Under the current model, the protein has at least three conformational states: pre-fusion native state, pre-hairpin intermediate state, and post-fusion hairpin state. During viral and target cell membrane fusion, the coiled coil regions (heptad repeats) assume a trimer-of-hairpins structure, positioning the fusion peptide in close proximity to the C-terminal region of the ectodomain. The formation of this structure appears to drive apposition and subsequent fusion of viral and target cell membranes.[HAMAP-Rule:MF_04099]
Publication Abstract from PubMed
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) enters the host cell by binding to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). While evolutionarily conserved, ACE2 receptors differ across various species and differential interactions with Spike (S) glycoproteins of SARS-CoV-2 viruses impact species specificity. Reverse zoonoses led to SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks on multiple American mink (Mustela vison) farms during the pandemic and gave rise to mink-associated S substitutions known for transmissibility between mink and zoonotic transmission to humans. In this study, we used bio-layer interferometry (BLI) to discern the differences in binding affinity between multiple human and mink-derived S glycoproteins of SARS-CoV-2 and their respective ACE2 receptors. Further, we conducted a structural analysis of a mink variant S glycoprotein and American mink ACE2 (mvACE2) using cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), revealing four distinct conformations. We discovered a novel intermediary conformation where the mvACE2 receptor is bound to the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the S glycoprotein in a "down" position, approximately 34 degrees lower than previously reported "up" RBD. Finally, we compared residue interactions in the S-ACE2 complex interface of S glycoprotein conformations with varying RBD orientations. These findings provide valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 entry.
Structural basis of the American mink ACE2 binding by Y453F trimeric spike glycoproteins of SARS-CoV-2.,Ahn H, Calderon BM, Fan X, Gao Y, Horgan NL, Jiang N, Blohm DS, Hossain J, Rayyan NWK, Osman SH, Lin X, Currier M, Steel J, Wentworth DE, Zhou B, Liang B J Med Virol. 2023 Oct;95(10):e29163. doi: 10.1002/jmv.29163. PMID:37842796[1]
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
See Also
References
- ↑ Ahn H, Calderon BM, Fan X, Gao Y, Horgan NL, Jiang N, Blohm DS, Hossain J, Rayyan NWK, Osman SH, Lin X, Currier M, Steel J, Wentworth DE, Zhou B, Liang B. Structural basis of the American mink ACE2 binding by Y453F trimeric spike glycoproteins of SARS-CoV-2. J Med Virol. 2023 Oct;95(10):e29163. PMID:37842796 doi:10.1002/jmv.29163
