Abstract
The global pandemic of COVID-19 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has significantly affected every human life and overloaded the health care system worldwide. Limited therapeutic options combined with the consecutive waves of the infection and emergence of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants, especially variants of concern (VOCs), have prolonged the COVID-19 pandemic and challenged its control. The Spike (S) protein on the surface of SARS-CoV-2 is the primary target exposed to the host and essential for virus entry into cells. The parental (Wuhan-Hu-1 or USA/WA1 strain) S protein is the virus-specific component of currently implemented vaccines. However, S is most prone to mutations, potentially shifting the dynamics of virus-host interactions by affecting S conformational/structural profiles. Scientists have rapidly resolved atomic structures of S VOCs and elucidated molecular details of these mutations, which can inform the design of S-directed novel therapeutics and broadly protective vaccines. Here, we discuss recent findings on S-associated virus transmissibility and immune evasion of SARS-CoV-2 VOCs and experimental approaches used to profile these properties. We summarize the structural studies that document the structural flexibility/plasticity of S VOCs and the potential roles of accumulated mutations on S structures and functions. We focus on the molecular interpretation of structures of the S variants and its insights into the molecular mechanism underlying antibody evasion and host cell-receptor binding.
Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; Spike proteins; antibody escape; conformations; immune evasion; infection; structures; transmissibility; variants of concern.
【저자키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, Infection, variants of concern, immune evasion, Transmissibility, antibody escape, Spike proteins, conformations, structures, 【초록키워드】 COVID-19, Structure, coronavirus, Health care, Vaccines, S protein, spike, antibody, VoC, COVID-19 pandemic, mutations, variants of concern, molecular mechanism, severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus, variants, immune, global pandemic, Protein, immune evasion, Health, Transmissibility, SARS-CoV-2 variants, cells, Virus-host interactions, VOCs, Interpretation, virus entry, Virus-host interaction, molecular, Health care system, Care, binding, Spike proteins, conformations, structures, therapeutic option, acute respiratory syndrome, acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, profiles, scientist, functions, recent findings, accumulated mutations, protective vaccines, virus transmissibility, Wuhan-Hu-1, Host, approach, shifting, affected, caused, significantly, atomic, parental, affecting, resolved, recent finding, accumulated mutation, Limited, S variant, 【제목키워드】 spike,