S-acylation of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein: Mechanistic dissection, in vitro reconstitution and role in viral infectivity.

ABSTRACT: S-acylation, also known as palmitoylation, is the most widely prevalent form of protein lipidation, whereby long-chain fatty acids get attached to cysteine residues facing the cytosol. In humans, 23 members of the zDHHC family of integral membrane enzymes catalyze this modification. S-acylation is critical for the life cycle of many enveloped viruses. The Spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, has the most cysteine-rich cytoplasmic tail among known human pathogens in the closely related family of β-coronaviruses; however, it is unclear which of the cytoplasmic cysteines are S-acylated, and what the impact of this modification is on viral infectivity. Here we identify specific cysteine clusters in the Spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 that are targets of S-acylation. Intere

SUBMITTER: Puthenveetil R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8379822 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature