Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 10, 2026
07:53
A Fluorogenic Peptide Cleavage Assay to Screen for Proteolytic Activity: Applications for coronavirus spike protein activation
Published on: January 9, 2019
SARS-CoV accessory protein 7a directly interacts with human LFA-1
1Forschungszentrum Jülich, INB-2, D-52425 Jülich, Germany.
Biological Chemistry
|November 21, 2007
Summary
The SARS-CoV protein 7a directly binds to human lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1 (LFA-1). This interaction suggests LFA-1 may act as a receptor for SARS-CoV on human leukocytes.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Immunology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is an infectious virus.
- SARS-CoV accessory protein 7a is a type I membrane protein found on the virus surface.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the interaction between SARS-CoV protein 7a and human cells.
- To identify potential receptors for SARS-CoV on human leukocytes.
Main Methods:
- Binding assays using recombinant protein 7a and Jurkat cells.
- In vitro binding experiments with wild-type and mutant LFA-1 I domains.
- Cell activation using phorbol ester.
Main Results:
- Protein 7a binds directly and specifically to human lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1 (LFA-1).
- Binding affinity increases upon artificial cell activation.
- The I domain of the alpha(L) chain of LFA-1 is the binding site for protein 7a.
Conclusions:
- LFA-1 is a direct binding partner for SARS-CoV protein 7a.
- LFA-1 may function as an attachment factor or receptor for SARS-CoV on human leukocytes, facilitating viral entry or immune cell interaction.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Coronavirus
Coronaviruses, including the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), are enveloped viruses characterized by their single-stranded, positive-sense RNA genome and helical nucleocapsid structure. The hallmark of these viruses is their club-shaped spike (S) glycoproteins that protrude from the viral envelope, facilitating attachment to host cells. Typically, coronaviruses infect the upper respiratory tract, often causing mild or asymptomatic disease. However, certain strains like...
01:33Coat Assembly and GTPases
Vesicles incorporate different coat protein subunits in different cell locations, which changes the properties of the coat, such as the shape and geometry of the transport vesicles. Thus, vesicle coat proteins also play a significant role in cargo selection.
Coat assembly depends on the local availability of phosphatidylinositol phosphates or PIPs and GTP-binding proteins. Adaptor proteins, which link the coat proteins to the membrane, bind to these PIPs and play a crucial role in controlling...
Coat assembly depends on the local availability of phosphatidylinositol phosphates or PIPs and GTP-binding proteins. Adaptor proteins, which link the coat proteins to the membrane, bind to these PIPs and play a crucial role in controlling...
01:03Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer
Rous Sarcoma virus or RSV was discovered by F. Peyton Rous in the year 1911 as a filterable transmissible agent that could cause tumors in chickens. He won a Nobel Prize for this discovery in 1966. His experiments clearly demonstrated that some cancers could be caused by infectious agents and led to the discovery of many more cancer-causing viruses in animals as well as humans.
RSV is a retrovirus that contains two copies of a plus-strand RNA genome. Its genome consists of four main open...
RSV is a retrovirus that contains two copies of a plus-strand RNA genome. Its genome consists of four main open...
01:03Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer
Rous Sarcoma virus or RSV was discovered by F. Peyton Rous in the year 1911 as a filterable transmissible agent that could cause tumors in chickens. He won a Nobel Prize for this discovery in 1966. His experiments clearly demonstrated that some cancers could be caused by infectious agents and led to the discovery of many more cancer-causing viruses in animals as well as humans.
RSV is a retrovirus that contains two copies of a plus-strand RNA genome. Its genome consists of four main open...
RSV is a retrovirus that contains two copies of a plus-strand RNA genome. Its genome consists of four main open...
01:29Respiratory Syncytial Virus Disease
Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a widespread pathogen that primarily targets infants and young children but also poses a serious health risk to elderly and immunocompromised individuals. Belonging to the Pneumoviridae family, RSV is a negative-sense, single-stranded RNA virus within the Pneumovirus genus. Its global health burden is significant, with millions of cases annually resulting in hospitalizations and mortality, particularly in resource-limited settings. Although most...
02:28Leaky Scanning
During most eukaryotic translation processes, the small 40S ribosome subunit scans an mRNA from its 5' end until it encounters the first start AUG codon. The large 60S ribosomal subunit then joins the smaller one to initiate protein synthesis. The location of the translation initiation is largely determined by the nucleotides near the start codon as there may be multiple translation initiation sites present on the mRNA. Marilyn Kozak discovered that the sequence RCCAUGG (where R stands for...