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Updated: Aug 7, 2026

Engineering Antiviral Agents via Surface Plasmon Resonance
Published on: June 14, 2022
S-layer architecture and glycosylation and their role in shaping virus-host specificity in prokaryotes
Sabine Schwarzer1, Úlfur Á Atlason1, Tessa E F Quax1
1Biology of Archaea and Viruses, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands.
Abstract:
The crystalline surface layer (S-layer) of prokaryotes constitutes a critical macromolecular interface governing virus-host interactions. In this review, we synthesize recent findings regarding the role of S-layer glycoproteins as viral receptors, examine the structural and functional diversity of these systems across prokaryotic lineages, and analyze the molecular strategies that determine virus-host specificity. By integrating perspectives from structural biology, microbiology, and evolutionary studies, we seek to elucidate the fundamental principles and emerging themes that characterize virus-host interactions at the cell surface mediated by the S-layer.
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