Molecular Virology of SARS-CoV-2 and Related Coronaviruses

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The global COVID-19 pandemic continues to threaten the lives of hundreds of millions of people, with a severe negative impact on the global economy.

Computational Study of Helicase from SARS-CoV-2 in RNA-Free and Engaged Form

“…All of these are involved in the virus’s entry into the cell. The recognition of and the binding to the host cell is the responsibility of the spike protein [ 7 ], which binds to the target cell through specific interactions with cellular receptors [ 8 ]. Once the virus has entered the host cell, the viral genome is released into the cytoplasm, and a finely regulated system is triggered ( Figure 1 A).…”

“…The cell’s ribosomes are called up and the viral RNA, which is capped at 5′ and polyadenylated at 3′, assists in the translation of two replicases, ORF1a and ORF1b, which represent as much as two-thirds of the viral genome [ 1 ]. The translation generates two large polyproteins, pp1a and pp1ab, which are 4405 and 7096 amino acids long, respectively [ 1 , 4 , 8 ]. Sixteen non-structural proteins are then co- and post-translationally released from pp1a and pp1ab.…”

Nanoscale Technologies in the Fight against COVID-19: From Innovative Nanomaterials to Computer-Aided Discovery of Potential Antiviral Plant-Derived Drugs

“…The viral nucleocapsid is assembled from newly synthesized viral genomic (+)ssRNA and N proteins in the cytoplasm, and then buds into the ER–Golgi intermediate cavity (ERGIC), reaching the S, E, and M for viral assembly. The new virions are then released from the cells via exocytosis [ 63 , 64 ]. The SARS-CoV-2 life cycle is shown in Figure 4 .…”

Acquisition of Furin Cleavage Site and Further SARS-CoV-2 Evolution Change the Mechanisms of Viral Entry, Infection Spread, and Cell Signaling

“…This is a spherical virus containing a lipid envelope with embedded glycoprotein spikes. The SARS-CoV-2 genome (G RNA) is represented by a positive-sense, single-stranded RNA of ~30 kb in length, the largest among all of the RNA genome-containing viruses ( 9 ). G RNA mimics cellular mRNA in that it has a cap and a poly(A)-tail at the 5′ and 3′ termini, respectively.…”

“…Both M and E are required for virus release and its infectivity. Another structural protein, the spike (S) protein, forms trimeric spikes on the surface of virions and is a major determinant of viral infectivity, spread, pathogenesis, and adaptation for infection of new hosts and cell lines ( 9 ). In the early steps of viral infection, it mediates binding of the virions to the ACE2 receptor and additional attachment factors such as glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), including heparan sulfate (HS) ( 12 ).…”