Role of the GTNGTKR motif in the N-terminal receptor-binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein
Role of the GTNGTKR motif in the N-terminal receptor-binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein
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DOI：
10.1016/j.virusres.2020.198058
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发表时间：
2020-09-01
期刊：
影响因子：
5
通讯作者：
Meng, Jihong
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Behloul, Nouredine;Baha, Sarra;Meng, Jihong
2019年在中国出现的新型冠状病毒病（COVID-19）已被世界卫生组织宣布为国际关注的突发公共卫生事件，病原体被命名为严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2）。本研究分析了SARS-CoV-2刺突蛋白S1亚基N端结构域（S1-NTD）的结构特征，并与其他具有相似结构的病毒进行了比较。考虑到SARS-CoV-2感染的严重性和广泛而快速的传播，该病毒很可能识别除了ACE 2之外的其他受体/共受体。SARS-CoV-2的NTD含有不同于SARS-CoV的受体结合基序，其中一些插入可能赋予新冠状病毒新的受体结合能力。特别是，在其他病毒的结构蛋白中发现了类似于插入72 GTNGTKR 78的基序;这些基序位于参与识别蛋白质和糖受体的推定区域，因此表明SARS-CoV-2 S1-NTD可能显示出类似的结合能力。此外，关于这些NTD插入的起源，我们的研究结果指向进化获得，而不是工程病毒的假设。
The 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) that emerged in China has been declared as public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization and the causative pathogen was named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In this report, we analyzed the structural characteristics of the N-terminal domain of the S1 subunit (S1-NTD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in com-parison to the SARS-CoV in particular, and to other viruses presenting similar characteristic in general. Given the severity and the wide and rapid spread of the SARS-CoV-2 infection, it is very likely that the virus recognizes other receptors/co-receptors besides the ACE2. The NTD of the SARS-CoV-2 contains a receptor-binding motif different from that of SARS-CoV, with some insertions that could confer to the new coronavirus new receptor binding abilities. In particular, motifs similar to the insertion 72GTNGTKR78 have been found in structural proteins of other viruses; and these motifs were located in putative regions involved in recognizing protein and sugar receptors, suggesting therefore that similar binding abilities could be displayed by the SARS-CoV-2 S1-NTD. Moreover, concerning the origin of these NTD insertions, our findings point towards an evolutionary acquisition rather than the hypothesis of an engineered virus.