Laurini E, Marson D, Aulic S, Fermeglia M, Pricl S. Computational Alanine Scanning and Structural Analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein/Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 Complex.
ACS NANO 2020;
14:11821-11830. [PMID:
32833435 PMCID:
PMC7448377 DOI:
10.1021/acsnano.0c04674]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The recent emergence of the pathogen severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiological agent for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is causing a global pandemic that poses enormous challenges to global public health and economies. SARS-CoV-2 host cell entry is mediated by the interaction of the viral transmembrane spike glycoprotein (S-protein) with the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 gene (ACE2), an essential counter-regulatory carboxypeptidase of the renin-angiotensin hormone system that is a critical regulator of blood volume, systemic vascular resistance, and thus cardiovascular homeostasis. Accordingly, this work reports an atomistic-based, reliable in silico structural and energetic framework of the interactions between the receptor-binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 S-protein and its host cellular receptor ACE2 that provides qualitative and quantitative insights into the main molecular determinants in virus/receptor recognition. In particular, residues D38, K31, E37, K353, and Y41 on ACE2 and Q498, T500, and R403 on the SARS-CoV-2 S-protein receptor-binding domain are determined as true hot spots, contributing to shaping and determining the stability of the relevant protein-protein interface. Overall, these results could be used to estimate the binding affinity of the viral protein to different allelic variants of ACE2 receptors discovered in COVID-19 patients and for the effective structure-based design and development of neutralizing antibodies, vaccines, and protein/protein inhibitors against this terrible new coronavirus.
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