title: The structural characterization and antigenicity of the S protein of SARS-CoV.
abstract: The corona-like spikes or peplomers on the surface of the virion under electronic microscope are the most striking features of coronaviruses. The S (spike) protein is the largest structural protein, with 1,255 amino acids, in the viral genome. Its structure can be divided into three regions: a long N-terminal region in the exterior, a characteristic transmembrane (TM) region, and a short C-terminus in the interior of a virion. We detected fifteen substitutions of nucleotides by comparisons with the seventeen published SARS-CoV genome sequences, eight (53.3%) of which are non-synonymous mutations leading to amino acid alternations with predicted physiochemical changes. The possible antigenic determinants of the S protein are predicted, and the result is confirmed by ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) with synthesized peptides. Another profound finding is that three disulfide bonds are defined at the C-terminus with the N-terminus of the E (envelope) protein, based on the typical sequence and positions, thus establishing the structural connection with these two important structural proteins, if confirmed. Phylogenetic analysis reveals several conserved regions that might be potent drug targets.
authors.affiliation: Beijing Genomics Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101300, China.
authors.forename: Jingxiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chunqing
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Yajun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Yujun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Fanbo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Zhao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Qingrun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shengbin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hongyan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yudong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shengli
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bi
authors.forename: Huanming
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D001482:Base Composition; D019295:Computational Biology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017385:Sequence Homology; D064370:Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D064370:Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C578557:spike glycoprotein, SARS-CoV; C578553:spike protein, mouse hepatitis virus