Prefusion structure of a human coronavirus spike protein

Kirchdoerfer, Robert N.; Cottrell, Christopher A.; Wang, Nianshuang; Pallesen, Jesper; Yassine, Hadi M.; Turner, Hannah L.; Corbett, Kizzmekia S.; Graham, Barney S.; McLellan, Jason S.; Ward, Andrew B.

HKU1 is a human betacoronavirus that causes mild yet prevalent respiratory disease(1) and is related to the zoonotic SARS(2) and MERS(3) betacoronaviruses that have high fatality rates and pandemic potential. Cell tropism and host range is determined in part by the coronavirus spike (S) protein(4), which binds cellular receptors and mediates membrane fusion. As the largest known class I fusion protein, its size and extensive glycosylation have hindered structural studies of the full ectodomain, thus preventing a molecular understanding of its function and limiting development of effective interventions. Here we present the 4.0 Ã… resolution structure of the trimeric HKU1 S protein determined using single-particle cryo-electron microscopy. In the prefusion conformation, the receptor-binding subunits, S1, rest atop the fusion-mediating subunits, S2, preventing their conformational rearrangement. Surprisingly, the S1 C-terminal domains are interdigitated and form extensive quaternary interactions that occlude surfaces known to bind protein receptors in other coronaviruses. These features, along with the location of the two protease sites known to be important for coronavirus entry, provide a structural basis to support a model of membrane fusion mediated by progressive S protein destabilization through receptor binding and proteolytic cleavage. Additionally, these studies should serve as a foundation for the structure-based design of betacoronavirus vaccine immunogens.