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Study explains how SARS-CoV-2 variants differ in binding to ACE2 receptor

The current study explored ACE2-RBD interactions with four VoCs including the Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta variants.

29 Jul 2021

Researchers identify common epitopes across SARS-CoV-2 viral variants

While several COVID-19 vaccine candidates have been developed and deployed to arrest the spread of SARS-CoV-2, concern among scientists and public health authorities is mounting over the immunity escape potential of emerging viral variants. To address this problem, a group of scientists in Germany has undertaken research to identify molecular targets across viral variants to aid in the development of second and third-generation vaccines and novel therapeutics.

1 Jun 2021

New insights into how South African SARS-CoV-2 variant sacrifices tight binding for antibody evasion

The highly infectious SARS-CoV-2 variant that recently emerged in South Africa, known as B.1.351, has scientists wondering how existing COVID-19 vaccines and therapies can be improved to ensure strong protection.

29 Apr 2021

Cleavage site recognition by SARS-CoV-2 main protease as new antiviral drug target

Many research groups have and are investigating main protease inhibitors as antiviral drugs, and in a paper recently uploaded to the bioRxiv* preprint server, a team of researchers examine the crystal structure of the protein while bound to various viral substrate peptides (P1-4). In doing so, they reveal the way in which the bound peptide sequence can direct and modulate enzyme activity, providing new templates towards antiviral drug design.

26 Apr 2021

Can a single BNT162b2 vaccine dose confer protective immunity against SARS-CoV-2 variants?

A team of researchers in Germany aimed to determine if the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine mRNA vaccine (also known as the BNT162b2 vaccine) induces robust antibody responses against emergent SARS-CoV-2 variants, including the United Kingdom (or B1.1.7) variant; the South African (or B.1.351) variant; and the Brazilian (or P.1) variant.

21 Apr 2021

SARS-CoV-2 spike E484K mutation reduces antibody neutralization

Researchers at the Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York, USA, showed that the SARS-CoV-2 spike E484K mutation reduces antibody neutralization.

12 Apr 2021

Glycans influence SARS-CoV-2 spike–ACE2 binding affinity, finds study

A study conducted at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, USA, and Concordia University, Canada, has explored the impact of different types of glycans on the interaction between SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and human ACE2 receptor.

1 Apr 2021

Blocking folate metabolism could reduce SARS-CoV-2 viral replication in infected cells

The novel beta-coronavirus virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and coronaviruses, in general, alter the host's cellular metabolism to support massive production of ~30 kB viral genomes and subgenomic viral RNAs. However, how this is achieved is largely unknown.

21 Mar 2021

N501Y mutation in SARS-CoV-2 responsible for increased viral transmission

Researchers at the University of Texas, USA, have confirmed the specific mutation in the B.1.1.7 variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has allowed for it to be more transmissible than the ancestral strain. The N501Y substitution is one of 8 spike protein substitutions present in the UK variant and has also appeared convergently in the Brazil (P.1) and South Africa (B.1.351) variants.

11 Mar 2021

Researchers study prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 UK variant at University of Texas

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin and Santa Fe Institute in the US used quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) data from a surveillance testing program on a large university campus to estimate how fast the new variant spreads. The team used the data to provide local situational information on the COVID-19 pandemic.

10 Mar 2021

Researchers explore how N501Y mutation in SARS-CoV-2 increases viral transmissibility

Researchers at Erasmus University Medical Center in The Netherlands have explored how and why new variants of SARS-CoV-2 have exhibited heightened infectivity.

24 Feb 2021

O-glycosylation of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in insect and human cell lines

The mapping of O-glycosites requires instruments that can support electron transfer dissociation (ETD) fragmentation. In a new study published on the bioRxiv preprint server, researchers report their results on whether O-glycosylation patterns affect immunogens for vaccine development.

18 Feb 2021

SARS-CoV-2 N501Y mutation adversely affects cellular immune response

Among these is the B.1.1.7 SARS-CoV-2 variant, with its characteristic N501Y mutation. A new preprint on the bioRxiv server reports the impact of this mutation on CD4 T cell responses, including antigen presentation on cells expressing Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) class II molecules.

4 Feb 2021

New UK SARS-CoV-2 variant circulating in US since November, says study

A new study by researchers at the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, showed that the new variant has circulated in the US since November.

26 Jan 2021

How have new SARS-CoV-2 strains become more transmissible?

A new study discusses the effect of specific mutations on the sensitivity of SARS-CoV-2's spike protein to elastase, and on the intramolecular conformational changes.

22 Jan 2021

New UK-derived SARS-CoV-2 variant does not affect neutralizing antibodies efficiency, study says

A team of scientists conducted structural analysis of a newly emerged UK variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). They present evidence that suggests that while the new variant has increased infectivity it is not resistant to neutralizing antibodies.

13 Jan 2021

N439K mutation of SARS-CoV-2 may be more infectious and antibody resistant than Wuhan strain

Researchers from the Harbin Institute of Technology, China, modeled the complexes formed between the RBD and the human ACE2 and monoclonal antibodies.

27 Nov 2020

Promising yeast-expressed SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate effective in mice

Researchers at the Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, USA, have published a report on the preprint server bioRxiv that describes a yeast-expressed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) receptor-binding domain (RBD) protein, a key target of current vaccine development efforts.

9 Nov 2020

Serum metabolite profile can help identify individuals at risk of alcohol-related disease

A new study from the University of Eastern Finland is the first in the world to show that the serum metabolite profile can be used to identify individuals likely at risk of developing an alcohol-related disease in the future.

19 Oct 2020

Researchers identify CoV Mac1 proteins as a potential SARS-CoV-2 drug target

A recent study by researchers at the University of Kansas and published on the preprint server bioRxiv* reveals that Mac1 protein implicated in the infection process of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has a strikingly similar structure and activity in all coronaviruses – suggesting that possible future treatments targeting this protein may exert broad antiviral activity.

13 May 2020