Cited by 545SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 ResearchAnimal Virus Infections StudiesEnzyme Structure and Function

SARS-CoV-2 and bat RaTG13 spike glycoprotein structures inform on virus evolution and furin-cleavage effects

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Wrobel, Antoni G., Benton, Donald J., Xu, Pengqi, Roustan, Chloë, Martin, Stephen R., Rosenthal, Peter B., Skehel, John J., Gamblin, Steven J.·2020·Nature Structural & Molecular Biology

Published version of a preprint

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 is thought to have emerged from bats, possibly via a secondary host. Here, we investigate the relationship of spike (S) glycoprotein from SARS-CoV-2 with the S protein of a closely related bat virus, RaTG13. We determined cryo-EM structures for RaTG13 S and for both furin-cleaved and uncleaved SARS-CoV-2 S; we compared these with recently reported structures for uncleaved SARS-CoV-2 S. We also biochemically characterized their relative stabilities and affinities for the SARS-CoV-2 receptor ACE2. Although the overall structures of human and bat virus S proteins are similar, there are key differences in their properties, including a more stable precleavage form of human S and about 1,000-fold tighter binding of SARS-CoV-2 to human receptor. These observations suggest that cleavage at the furin-cleavage site decreases the overall stability of SARS-CoV-2 S and facilitates the adoption of the open conformation that is required for S to bind to the ACE2 receptor.

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  • Loss-of-function modification or deletion of the furin cleavage site of the S protein in vaccine development can be beneficial.

    “Consequently, a loss-of-function modification or deletion of the furin cleavage site of the S protein in vaccine development can be beneficial.70,71”

    From COVID-19 mRNA vaccines: Platforms and current developments (2022) · cites this paper as [71]

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Authors
Wrobel, A. G., Benton, D. J., Xu, P., Roustan, C., Martin, S. R., Rosenthal, P. B., Skehel, J. J., & Gamblin, S. J.
Affiliations
  • The Francis Crick Institute (GB)
  • Sun Yat-sen University (CN)
Corresponding author
  • Wrobel, Antoni G.
  • Benton, Donald J.
Venue
Nature Structural & Molecular Biology
Published
2020-07-09
Volume
27
Issue
8
Pages
763-767
ISSN
  • 1545-9985 (ISSN-L)
  • 1545-9993
OpenAlex
W3040801746
Cited by
544
References
37
Citations by year
2026: 20 · 2025: 30 · 2024: 53 · 2023: 82 · 2022: 129 · 2021: 180 · 2020: 48
FWCI
14.43
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature Structural & Molecular Biology (publishedVersion)
  • Research Square (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • Cancer Research UK (FC001078, FC001143)
  • Wellcome Trust (FC001078, FC001143)
  • RCUK | Medical Research Council (FC001078, FC001143)
  • Sun Yat-sen University
  • 100 Top Talents Program of Sun Yat-sen University & the Sanming Project of Medicine in Shenzhen
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Animal Science and Zoology › Animal Virus Infections Studies
  • Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Materials Chemistry › Enzyme Structure and Function
Keywords
SARS-CoV-2, RaTG13, spike protein, furin cleavage, ACE2 binding, protein stability, bat coronaviruses, viral evolution, SARS-CoV-2 origin, receptor binding affinity
MeSH terms
Protein Conformation, alpha-Helical, Protein Conformation, beta-Strand, Betacoronavirus, Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Animals, Binding Sites, Chiroptera, Humans, Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A, Models, Molecular, Pneumonia, Viral, Protein Binding, Receptors, Virus, Recombinant Proteins, Gene Expression, Coronavirus Infections, Evolution, Molecular, Protein Isoforms, Cryoelectron Microscopy, Structural Homology, Protein, Furin, Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs, Host-Pathogen Interactions, Protein Stability, HEK293 Cells, Pandemics, Proteolysis, Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus

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