Furin cleavage sites in the spike proteins of bat and rodent coronaviruses: Implications for virus evolution and zoonotic transfer from rodent species.

ABSTRACT: Bats and rodents comprise two of the world's largest orders of mammals and the order Chiroptera (bats) has been implicated as a major reservoir of coronaviruses in nature and a source of zoonotic transfer to humans. However, the order Rodentia (rodents) also harbors coronaviruses, with two human coronaviruses (HCoV-OC43 and HCoV-HKU1) considered to have rodent origins. The coronavirus spike protein mediates viral entry and is a major determinant of viral tropism; importantly, the spike protein is activated by host cell proteases at two distinct sites, designated as S1/S2 and S2'. SARS-CoV-2, which is considered to be of bat origin, contains a cleavage site for the protease furin at S1/S2, absent from the rest of the currently known betacoronavirus lineage 2b coronaviruses (Sarbecoviruse

SUBMITTER: Stout AE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8216856 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature