The Role of Host Cell Glycans on Virus Infectivity: The SARS-CoV-2 Case.

ABSTRACT: Glycans are ubiquitously expressed sugars, coating the cell and protein surfaces. They are found on many proteins as either short and branched chains or long chains sticking out from special membrane proteins, known as proteoglycans. This sugar cushion, the glycocalyx, modulates specific interactions and protects the cell. Here it is shown that both the expression of proteoglycans and the glycans expressed on the surface of both the host and virus proteins have a critical role in modulating viral attachment to the cell. A mathematical model using SARS-Cov-2 as an archetypical virus to study the glycan role during infection is proposed. It is shown that this occurs via a tug-of-war of forces. On one side, the multivalent molecular recognition that viral proteins have toward specific host gl

SUBMITTER: Acosta-Gutierrez S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9811451 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature