SARS-CoV-2 S Mutations: A Lesson from the Viral World to Understand How Human Furin Works.

ABSTRACT: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the etiological agent responsible for the worldwide pandemic and has now claimed millions of lives. The virus combines several unusual characteristics and an extraordinary ability to spread among humans. In particular, the dependence of the maturation of the envelope glycoprotein S from Furin enables the invasion and replication of the virus virtually within the entire body, since this cellular protease is ubiquitously expressed. Here, we analyzed the naturally occurring variation of the amino acids sequence around the cleavage site of S. We found that the virus grossly mutates preferentially at P positions, resulting in single residue replacements that associate with gain-of-function phenotypes in specific conditions. Interes

SUBMITTER: Cassari L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10003014 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature