TMPRSS2-mediated coronavirus spike activation and inhibition

The protease TMPRSS2 facilitates coronavirus infections, yet its mechanism of viral glycoprotein recognition remains unclear. Here we show that, following ACE2 engagement of the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) inducing the early fusion intermediate conformation (E-FIC), TMPRSS2 cleaves the R815 S₂' site and promotes fusogenic conformational changes leading to viral entry. We unveil TMPRSS2 recognition of S₂', identify key residues modulating binding specificity and demonstrate that S₂' site-directed broadly neutralizing antibodies target E-FIC and inhibit viral entry by blocking TMPRSS2 access. We computationally designed stabilized E-FIC as a vaccine candidate, overcoming the transient nature of this state. We describe a TMPRSS2-directed monoclonal antibody inhibiting several coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2 variants and protecting mice against SARS-CoV-2 challenge. These results outline the mechanistic role of TMPRSS2 and S₂' site-directed antibodies in coronavirus entry.