Structure of SARS-CoV-2 spike at pH 5.5, all RBDs downStructure of SARS-CoV-2 spike at pH 5.5, all RBDs down

Structural highlights

6xm5 is a 3 chain structure with sequence from 2019-ncov. Full crystallographic information is available from OCA. For a guided tour on the structure components use FirstGlance.
Ligands:
Gene:S, 2 (2019-nCoV)
Resources:FirstGlance, OCA, PDBe, RCSB, PDBsum, ProSAT

Function

[SPIKE_SARS2] attaches the virion to the cell membrane by interacting with host receptor, initiating the infection (By similarity). Binding to human ACE2 receptor and internalization of the virus into the endosomes of the host cell induces conformational changes in the Spike glycoprotein (PubMed:32142651, PubMed:32075877, PubMed:32155444). Uses also human TMPRSS2 for priming in human lung cells which is an essential step for viral entry (PubMed:32142651). Proteolysis by cathepsin CTSL may unmask the fusion peptide of S2 and activate membranes fusion within endosomes.[HAMAP-Rule:MF_04099][1] [2] [3] mediates fusion of the virion and cellular membranes by acting as a class I viral fusion protein. Under the current model, the protein has at least three conformational states: pre-fusion native state, pre-hairpin intermediate state, and post-fusion hairpin state. During viral and target cell membrane fusion, the coiled coil regions (heptad repeats) assume a trimer-of-hairpins structure, positioning the fusion peptide in close proximity to the C-terminal region of the ectodomain. The formation of this structure appears to drive apposition and subsequent fusion of viral and target cell membranes.[HAMAP-Rule:MF_04099] Acts as a viral fusion peptide which is unmasked following S2 cleavage occurring upon virus endocytosis.[HAMAP-Rule:MF_04099]

Publication Abstract from PubMed

SARS-CoV-2 has emerged as a global pathogen, sparking urgent vaccine development efforts with the trimeric spike. However, the inability of antibodies like CR3022, which binds a cryptic spike epitope with nanomolar affinity, to neutralize virus, suggests a spike-based means of neutralization escape. Here, we show the SARS-CoV-2 spike to have 10% the unfolding enthalpy of a globular protein at physiological pH, where it is recognized by antibodies like CR3022, and up to 10-times more unfolding enthalpy at endosomal pH, where it sheds such antibodies, suggesting that the spike evades potentially neutralizing antibody through a pH-dependent mechanism of conformational masking. To understand the compatibility of this mechanism with ACE2-receptor interactions, we carried out binding measurements and determined cryo-EM structures of the spike recognizing up to three ACE2 molecules at both physiological and endosomal pH. In the absence of ACE2, cryo-EM analyses indicated lower pH to reduce conformational heterogeneity. Single-receptor binding domain (RBD)-up conformations dominated at pH 5.5, resolving into a locked all-down conformation at lower pH through lowering of RBD and refolding of a pH-dependent switch. Notably, the emerging Asp614Gly strain partially destabilizes the switch that locks RBD down, thereby enhancing functional interactions with ACE2 while reducing evasion by conformational masking.

A pH-dependent switch mediates conformational masking of SARS-CoV-2 spike.,Zhou T, Tsybovsky Y, Olia AS, Gorman J, Rapp MA, Cerutti G, Katsamba PS, Nazzari A, Schon A, Wang PD, Bimela J, Shi W, Teng IT, Zhang B, Boyington JC, Chuang GY, Sampson JM, Sastry M, Stephens T, Stuckey J, Wang S, Friesner RA, Ho DD, Mascola JR, Shapiro L, Kwong PD bioRxiv. 2020 Jul 4. doi: 10.1101/2020.07.04.187989. PMID:32637958[4]

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

References

  1. Wrapp D, Wang N, Corbett KS, Goldsmith JA, Hsieh CL, Abiona O, Graham BS, McLellan JS. Cryo-EM structure of the 2019-nCoV spike in the prefusion conformation. Science. 2020 Feb 19. pii: science.abb2507. doi: 10.1126/science.abb2507. PMID:32075877 doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.abb2507
  2. Hoffmann M, Kleine-Weber H, Schroeder S, Kruger N, Herrler T, Erichsen S, Schiergens TS, Herrler G, Wu NH, Nitsche A, Muller MA, Drosten C, Pohlmann S. SARS-CoV-2 Cell Entry Depends on ACE2 and TMPRSS2 and Is Blocked by a Clinically Proven Protease Inhibitor. Cell. 2020 Apr 16;181(2):271-280.e8. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.02.052. Epub 2020, Mar 5. PMID:32142651 doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2020.02.052
  3. Walls AC, Park YJ, Tortorici MA, Wall A, McGuire AT, Veesler D. Structure, Function, and Antigenicity of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Glycoprotein. Cell. 2020 Mar 6. pii: S0092-8674(20)30262-2. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.02.058. PMID:32155444 doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2020.02.058
  4. Zhou T, Tsybovsky Y, Olia AS, Gorman J, Rapp MA, Cerutti G, Katsamba PS, Nazzari A, Schon A, Wang PD, Bimela J, Shi W, Teng IT, Zhang B, Boyington JC, Chuang GY, Sampson JM, Sastry M, Stephens T, Stuckey J, Wang S, Friesner RA, Ho DD, Mascola JR, Shapiro L, Kwong PD. A pH-dependent switch mediates conformational masking of SARS-CoV-2 spike. bioRxiv. 2020 Jul 4. doi: 10.1101/2020.07.04.187989. PMID:32637958 doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/2020.07.04.187989

6xm5, resolution 3.10Å

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