Architecture of the SARS coronavirus prefusion spike

Nat Struct Mol Biol. 2006 Aug;13(8):751-2. doi: 10.1038/nsmb1123. Epub 2006 Jul 16.

Abstract

The emergence in 2003 of a new coronavirus (CoV) responsible for the atypical pneumonia termed severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) was a stark reminder that hitherto unknown viruses have the potential to cross species barriers to become new human pathogens. Here we describe the SARS-CoV 'spike' structure determined by single-particle cryo-EM, along with the docked atomic structures of the receptor-binding domain and prefusion core.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Chlorocebus aethiops
  • Cryopreservation / methods
  • Epitopes / chemistry
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
  • Membrane Fusion / physiology
  • Microscopy, Electron / methods
  • Models, Molecular
  • Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / chemistry
  • Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / pathogenicity
  • Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / ultrastructure*
  • Vero Cells / virology
  • Viral Envelope Proteins / chemistry*
  • Viral Envelope Proteins / metabolism
  • Virion / chemistry

Substances

  • Epitopes
  • Viral Envelope Proteins