Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 19, 2025
06:39
High-throughput Confocal Imaging of Quantum Dot-Conjugated SARS-CoV-2 Spike Trimers to Track Binding and Endocytosis in HEK293T Cells
Published on: April 21, 2022
3.2K
Structure of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein
Jun Zhang1, Tianshu Xiao1, Yongfei Cai1
1Division of Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, 3 Blackfan Street, Boston, MA 02115, United States; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, 3 Blackfan Street, Boston, MA 02115, United States.
Current Opinion in Virology
|September 17, 2021
Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic requires understanding the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein structure for effective vaccines and therapeutics. This review details recent structural findings and their implications for controlling the virus.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Structural Biology
- Immunology
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has had severe global health and economic impacts.
- Understanding viral protein structure-function relationships is crucial for developing interventions.
- The SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein is a key target for diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the latest structural understanding of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein.
- To discuss the implications of S protein structure for vaccine and therapeutic development.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent structural biology studies on the SARS-CoV-2 S protein.
- Analysis of structure-function relationships relevant to viral entry.
Main Results:
- Significant advancements in elucidating the structure of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein.
- Enhanced understanding of the viral entry mechanism mediated by the S protein.
Conclusions:
- The structural insights into the SARS-CoV-2 S protein are critical for designing effective vaccines and therapeutics.
- Continued research into S protein structure will aid in pandemic control strategies.
Related Concept Videos
00:56Viral Structure
67.3K
Viruses are extraordinarily diverse in shape and size, but they all have several structural features in common. All viruses have a core that contains a DNA- or RNA-based genome. The core is surrounded by a protective coat of proteins called the capsid. The capsid is composed of subunits called capsomeres. The capsid and genome-containing core are together known as the nucleocapsid.
67.3K
02:15Protein and Protein Structure
83.4K
Proteins are one of the most abundant organic molecules in living systems and have the most diverse range of functions of all macromolecules. Proteins may be structural, regulatory, contractile, or protective. They may serve in transport, storage, or membranes; or they may be toxins or enzymes. Their structures, like their functions, vary greatly. They are all, however, amino acid polymers arranged in a linear sequence.
A protein's shape is critical to its function. For example, an enzyme...
A protein's shape is critical to its function. For example, an enzyme...
83.4K
02:50Conjugated Proteins
21.2K
Simple proteins and protein complexes contain only amino acids. In contrast, many other proteins, called conjugated proteins, covalently bond with non-protein moieties.
Nucleoproteins are protein complexes that contain nucleic acids, categorized as deoxyribonucleoproteins (DNPs) or ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) respectively. The nucleosome is a typical example of a DNP where nuclear DNA is associated with histone proteins. The major antigen for the Covid-19 virus SARS-CoV is an RNP that is critical...
Nucleoproteins are protein complexes that contain nucleic acids, categorized as deoxyribonucleoproteins (DNPs) or ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) respectively. The nucleosome is a typical example of a DNP where nuclear DNA is associated with histone proteins. The major antigen for the Covid-19 virus SARS-CoV is an RNP that is critical...
21.2K
01:22Protein Folding
123.5K
Overview
123.5K
01:24Protein Organization
8.0K
Proteins are polymers of amino acid residues. They are versatile and responsible for different cellular functions, including DNA replication, molecular transport, catalysis, and structural support. Proteins have a hierarchical structure comprising at least three levels of organization: primary, secondary, and tertiary structure. Some large proteins have a quaternary structure where individual protein subunits are linked together.
The primary structure of a protein is its amino acid sequence....
The primary structure of a protein is its amino acid sequence....
8.0K
01:25Structure of Cadherins
3.7K
The cadherins were one of the first cell adhesion molecules discovered; the term “cadherins” is based on their calcium-dependent adhering properties. The first cadherins discovered on the epithelial, neuronal, and placental cells were named E-cadherin, P-cadherin, and N-cadherin, respectively. These classical cadherins share sequence and structural similarities. Other cadherins, including those involved in cell signaling, are grouped into non-classical cadherins. This...
3.7K