Structural Biology of Disease Processes Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom;
Structural Biology Science Technology Platform, Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 Mar 2;118(9). doi: 10.1073/pnas.2022586118.
The majority of currently circulating severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) viruses have mutant spike glycoproteins that contain the D614G substitution. Several studies have suggested that spikes with this substitution are associated with higher virus infectivity. We use cryo-electron microscopy to compare G614 and D614 spikes and show that the G614 mutant spike adopts a range of more open conformations that may facilitate binding to the SARS-CoV-2 receptor, ACE2, and the subsequent structural rearrangements required for viral membrane fusion.
目前流行的严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒 2（SARS-CoV-2）病毒大多数都具有突变的刺突糖蛋白，其中包含 D614G 取代。一些研究表明，含有这种取代的刺突与更高的病毒感染力有关。我们使用低温电子显微镜比较 G614 和 D614 刺突，发现 G614 突变体刺突采用了一系列更开放的构象，这可能有助于与 SARS-CoV-2 受体 ACE2 结合，以及随后发生病毒膜融合所需的结构重排。
