Title
Characterization of structural and energetic differences between conformations of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein
Date Issued
01 December 2020
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Institute of Fundamental Technological Research
Publisher(s)
MDPI AG
Abstract
The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has disrupted modern societies and their economies. The resurgence in COVID-19 cases as part of the second wave is observed across Europe and the Americas. The scientific response has enabled a complete structural characterization of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome—novel Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Among the most relevant proteins required by the novel coronavirus to facilitate the cell entry mechanism is the spike protein. This protein possesses a receptor-binding domain (RBD) that binds the cellular angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and then triggers the fusion of viral and host cell membranes. In this regard, a comprehensive characterization of the structural stability of the spike protein is a crucial step to find new therapeutics to interrupt the process of recognition. On the other hand, it has been suggested that the participation of more than one RBD is a possible mechanism to enhance cell entry. Here, we discuss the protein structural stability based on the computational determination of the dynamic contact map and the energetic difference of the spike protein conformations via the mapping of the hydration free energy by the Poisson–Boltzmann method. We expect our result to foster the discussion of the number of RBD involved during recognition and the repurposing of new drugs to disable the recognition by discovering new hotspots for drug targets apart from the flexible loop in the RBD that binds the ACE2.
Start page
1
End page
14
Volume
13
Issue
23
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
FÃsica de la materia condensada
Subjects
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85096706693
Source
Materials
ISSN of the container
19961944
Sponsor(s)
Acknowledgments: The authors gratefully acknowledge the computing provided by the Jülich Supercomputing Centre on the supercomputer JURECA at Forschungszentrum Jülich. This research was supported in part by PLGrid Infrastructure. J.L.B. acknowledges the use of the ELSA high-performance computing cluster at The College of New Jersey. S.B. acknowledges Dirección General de Asuntos del Personal Académico de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (DGAPA-UNAM) for a postdoctoral fellowship.
A.B.P. and R.A.M. thank the financial support from the National Science Centre, Poland, under grant No. 2017/26/D/NZ1/00466. H.V.G. thanks the Slovenian Research Agency for financial support (Funding No. P1-0055). J.L.B. acknowledges the use of the ELSA high-performance computing cluster at The College of New Jersey. This cluster is funded in part by the National Science Foundation under grant numbers OAC-1826915 and OAC-1828163. The authors gratefully acknowledge the computing provided by the J?lich Supercomputing Centre on the supercomputer JURECA at Forschungszentrum J?lich. This research was supported in part by PLGrid Infrastructure. J.L.B. acknowledges the use of the ELSA high-performance computing cluster at The College of New Jersey. S.B. acknowledges Direcci?n General de Asuntos del Personal Acad?mico de la Universidad Nacional Aut?noma de M?xico (DGAPA-UNAM) for a postdoctoral fellowship.
Funding: A.B.P. and R.A.M. thank the financial support from the National Science Centre, Poland, under grant No. 2017/26/D/NZ1/00466. H.V.G. thanks the Slovenian Research Agency for financial support (Funding No. P1-0055). J.L.B. acknowledges the use of the ELSA high-performance computing cluster at The College of New Jersey. This cluster is funded in part by the National Science Foundation under grant numbers OAC-1826915 and OAC-1828163.
Sources of information:
Directorio de Producción CientÃfica
Scopus