What is it about?

SARS-CoV-2 attaches to human cells through tight contacts established by a viral component, known as spike and a human protein called ACE2. We have studied a SARS-CoV-2 single mutant that confers the SARS-CoV-2 spike a stronger adherence to ACE2 and provide in this report the molecular reasons for this enhanced affinity.

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Why is it important?

Our studies contribute to a deeper understanding on the impact of a relevant mutation present in current SARS-CoV-2 circulating variants and which might lead to stronger host-pathogen interactions.

Perspectives

We are pleased to contribute to the understanding of SARS-CoV-2 interactions with human cells. It is always a learning process, and this work gave us the opportunity to work closely with colleagues and experts in molecular dynamics who provided very valuable data to the overall study. We are excited to continue investigating host-pathogen interactions.

Jacinto López Sagaseta

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This page is a summary of: Structural bases for the higher adherence to ACE2 conferred by the SARS-CoV-2 spike Q498Y substitution, Acta Crystallographica Section D Structural Biology, August 2022, International Union of Crystallography,
DOI: 10.1107/s2059798322007677.
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