Structure, Function, and Antigenicity of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Glycoprotein.
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Walls AC, Park YJ, Tortorici MA, Wall A, McGuire AT, Veesler D
Structure, Function, and Antigenicity of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Glycoprotein.
Cell. 2020 Apr 16;181(2):281-292.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.02.058. Epub 2020 Mar 9.
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- 32155444 [ View in PubMed]
- Abstract
The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 has resulted in >90,000 infections and >3,000 deaths. Coronavirus spike (S) glycoproteins promote entry into cells and are the main target of antibodies. We show that SARS-CoV-2 S uses ACE2 to enter cells and that the receptor-binding domains of SARS-CoV-2 S and SARS-CoV S bind with similar affinities to human ACE2, correlating with the efficient spread of SARS-CoV-2 among humans. We found that the SARS-CoV-2 S glycoprotein harbors a furin cleavage site at the boundary between the S1/S2 subunits, which is processed during biogenesis and sets this virus apart from SARS-CoV and SARS-related CoVs. We determined cryo-EM structures of the SARS-CoV-2 S ectodomain trimer, providing a blueprint for the design of vaccines and inhibitors of viral entry. Finally, we demonstrate that SARS-CoV S murine polyclonal antibodies potently inhibited SARS-CoV-2 S mediated entry into cells, indicating that cross-neutralizing antibodies targeting conserved S epitopes can be elicited upon vaccination.