Giancotti Raffaele, Lomoio Ugo, Puccio Barbara, Tradigo Giuseppe, Vizza Patrizia, Torti Carlo, Veltri Pierangelo, Guzzi Pietro Hiram
Department of Surgical and Medical Sciences, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy.
SMARTEST Lab., eCampus University, 22060 Novedrate, Italy.
Biology (Basel). 2024 Feb 1;13(2):90. doi: 10.3390/biology13020090.
The SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is a major threat to human health, has undergone many mutations during the replication process due to errors in the replication steps and modifications in the structure of viral proteins. The XBB variant was identified for the first time in Singapore in the fall of 2022. It was then detected in other countries, including the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. We study the impact of sequence changes on spike protein structure on the subvariants of XBB, with particular attention to the velocity of variant diffusion and virus activity with respect to its diffusion. We examine the structural and functional distinctions of the variants in three different conformations: (i) spike glycoprotein in complex with ACE2 (1-up state), (ii) spike glycoprotein (closed-1 state), and (iii) S protein (open-1 state). We also estimate the affinity binding between the spike protein and ACE2. The market binding affinity observed in specific variants raises questions about the efficacy of current vaccines in preparing the immune system for virus variant recognition. This work may be useful in devising strategies to manage the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. To stay ahead of the virus evolution, further research and surveillance should be carried out to adjust public health measures accordingly.
严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2(SARS-CoV-2)病毒是对人类健康的重大威胁,在复制过程中,由于复制步骤中的错误和病毒蛋白结构的改变,该病毒发生了许多突变。XBB变异株于2022年秋季在新加坡首次被发现。随后在包括美国、加拿大和英国在内的其他国家也检测到了该变异株。我们研究了XBB亚变体刺突蛋白结构上的序列变化的影响,特别关注变异株扩散速度及其扩散时的病毒活性。我们研究了三种不同构象下变异株的结构和功能差异:(i)与血管紧张素转换酶2(ACE2)结合的刺突糖蛋白(1向上状态),(ii)刺突糖蛋白(封闭-1状态),以及(iii)S蛋白(开放-1状态)。我们还估计了刺突蛋白与ACE2之间的亲和力结合。在特定变异株中观察到的市场结合亲和力引发了关于当前疫苗在使免疫系统识别病毒变异株方面功效的问题。这项工作可能有助于制定应对当前新冠疫情的策略。为了领先于病毒进化,应开展进一步的研究和监测,以便相应地调整公共卫生措施。
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