Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern (VOCs) harbor mutations in the spike (S) glycoprotein that confer more efficient transmission and dampen the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines and antibody therapies. S mediates virus entry and is the primary target for antibody responses, with structural studies of soluble S variants revealing an increased propensity toward conformations accessible to the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) receptor. However, real-time observations of conformational dynamics that govern the structural equilibriums of the S variants have been lacking. Here, we report single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer (smFRET) studies of critical mutations observed in VOCs, including D614G and E484K, in the context of virus particles. Investigated variants predominately occupied more open hACE2-accessible conformations, agreeing with previous structures of soluble trimers. Additionally, these S variants exhibited slower transitions in hACE2-accessible/bound states. Our finding of increased S kinetic stability in the open conformation provides a new perspective on SARS-CoV-2 adaptation to the human population.
Description
This article is a work of the U.S. Government and is not subject to copyright protection in the United States.
Publisher
mBio
Date of publication
2-2022
Language
english
Persistent identifier
http://hdl.handle.net/10950/4004
Document Type
Article
Recommended Citation
Yang, Ziwei; Han, Yang; Ding, Shilei; Shi, Wei; Zhou, Tongqing; Finzi, Andrés; Kwong, Peter D.; Mothes, Walther; and Lu, Maolin, "SARS-CoV-2 Variants Increase Kinetic Stability of Open Spike Conformations as an Evolutionary Strategy" (2022). School of Medical and Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations. Paper 3.
http://hdl.handle.net/10950/4004