Interaction Between Heparan Sulfate Oligosaccharide and the Receptor-Binding Domain of the Wild-Type and Omicron Variant of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein.

ABSTRACT: Heparan sulfate proteoglycans serve as initial attachment sites for several viruses and bacteria. Recent studies suggest that SARS-CoV-2 similarly exploits these glycosaminoglycans, facilitating conformational changes in the spike protein that promote the interaction between the receptor-binding domain (S1-RBD) and the cellular angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor (ACE2), thereby triggering the virus internalization process. The molecular details that drive this process, particularly the co-receptor role of heparan sulfate (HS), remain incompletely understood. The interaction between an HS hexasaccharide (hexa) and the N343 glycosylated S1-RBD of the wild-type (WT) and Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 was investigated. The conformational properties of hexa with these S1-RBDs in unbound an

SUBMITTER: Mandalari M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12467571 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature