Testing the feasibility of targeting a conserved region on the S2 domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

ABSTRACT: The efficacy of vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 virus significantly declines with the emergence of mutant strains, prompting investigation into the feasibility of targeting highly conserved but often cryptic regions on the S2 domain of spike protein. Using tools from molecular dynamics, we find that exposure of a conserved S2 epitope located in the central helices below the receptor binding domains would require large-scale motion beyond receptor binding domain up-down motion, but, along the reaction coordinates we explored, it is unlikely to be exposed by such large-scale dynamic fluctuations of the S1 domain without any external facilitating factors, despite some previous computational evidence suggesting transient exposure of this region. Furthermore, glycans, particularly those on N165

SUBMITTER: Garg P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11052916 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature