Four Coronavirus Proteins to Aid the Fight Against COVID-19

The first occurrence of human infections of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) was recognized in Wuhan, China. Due to its fast spreading and life-threatening character it is affecting all of us.

Thus, infection prevention and control has become critical. This outbreak is officially known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). SARS-CoV-2 is an enveloped, positive-sense, single-stranded member of the Betacoronavirus Genus that also includes SARS CoV (Sequence Similarity: 70%), MERS CoV (Sequence Similarity: 40%) and hCoV-OC43hCoV.

For detecting the Coronavirus as well as for developing vaccines against it the virus’ specific proteins are promising targets for scientists. Here we will describe some of the most important Coronavirus proteins:

SARS-CoV Spike Protein

The coronavirus spike contains three segments: a large ectodomain, a single-pass transmembrane anchor and a short intracellular tail. The ectodomain consists of a receptor-binding subunit S1 and a membrane-fusion subunit S2. During virus entry, S1 binds to a receptor on the host cell surface for viral attachment, and S2 fuses the host and viral membranes, allowing viral genomes to enter host cells.

SARS-CoV Nucleocapsid Protein

Of all the coronaviral structural proteins, the N protein is the most abundant throughout infection, both in mRNA and protein levels. Compared to the mRNA levels of other structural genes, the mRNA of the N protein is expressed three to ten times higher at 12-hour post-infection.

SARS-CoV Envelope Protein

The Envelope (E) protein is the smallest of the major structural proteins, but also the most enigmatic. During the replication cycle, E is abundantly expressed inside the infected cell, but only a small portion is incorporated into the virion envelope. The majority of the protein is localized at the site of intracellular trafficking.

SARS-CoV Membrane Protein

The coronavirus membrane (M) protein is the key player in virion assembly. One of its functions is to mediate the incorporation of the spikes into the viral envelope. When expressed alone, it accumulates in the Golgi complex in homomultimeric complexes. However, in combination with the E protein, virus-like particles (VLPs) similar to authentic virions in size and shape are assembled, demonstrating that the M and E proteins are the minimal requirements for envelope formation.

Although in some areas scientists can return to their labs, the pandemic remains, and there is still a high need for research on this topic. During the last weeks and months, antibodies-online has gathered a great amount of products that are crucial for understanding the virus and finding a cure.

Check out our updated portfolio of antibodies, proteins and ELISA kits that will help you understand and fight COVID-19.

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References

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