Molecular biology of the SARs‐CoV‐2 spike protein: A review of current knowledge

Zhu, Chaogeng; He, Guiyun; Yin, Qinqin; Zeng, Lin; Ye, Xiangli; Shi, Yongzhong; Xu, Wei

The global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), has led to an unprecedented worldwide public health emergency. Despite the concerted efforts of the scientific field, by April 25, 2021, SARS‐CoV‐2 had spread to over 192 countries/regions, causing more than 146 million confirmed cases including 31 million deaths. For now, an established treatment for patients with COVID‐19 remains unavailable. The key to tackling this pandemic is to understand the mechanisms underlying its infectivity and pathogenicity. As a predominant focus, the coronavirus spike (S) protein is the key determinant of host range, infectivity, and pathogenesis. Thereby comprehensive understanding of the sophisticated structure of SARS‐CoV‐2 S protein may provide insights into possible intervention strategies to fight this ongoing global pandemic. Herein, we summarize the current knowledge of the molecular structural and functional features of SARS‐CoV‐2 S protein as well as recent updates on the cell entry mechanism of the SARS‐CoV‐2, paving the way for exploring more structure‐guided strategies against SARS‐CoV‐2.