Glycans on SARS-CoV-2 may help the virus infect cells

Abstract

Researchers have created the most complete atomic-level simulation to date of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, which the virus uses to enter host cells The model reveals that the glycans don’t just camouflage the virus from the host immune system, as sugars on proteins are known to do The glycans on SARS-CoV-2 also help the spike protein take on the conformation that equips it to infect cells ( 2020, DOI: ) “We have an atomic-level model of a fully glycosylated, full-length spike protein, so there’s no more missing bits,” says , a computational biophysical chemist at the University of California, San Diego And by looking at the model, she explains, “we realized that a couple glycans in particular were not only acting as part of the shield, camouflaging the virus, but they also seemed to be acting as part of the weaponry ” More than 8 months into the global COVID-19 pandemic [ ]