Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel virus that first occurred in Wuhan in December 2019. The spike glycoproteins and nucleocapsid proteins are the most common targets for the development of vaccines and antiviral drugs. Objective: We herein analyze the rate of evolution along with the sequences of spike and nucleo-capsid proteins in relation to the spatial locations of their epitopes, previously suggested to con-tribute to the immune response caused by SARS-CoV-2 infections. Methods: We compare homologous proteins of seven human coronaviruses: HCoV-229E, HCoV--OC43, SARS-CoV, HCoV-NL63, HCoV-HKU1, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2. We then focus on the local, structural order-disorder propensity of the protein regions where the SARS-CoV-2 epi-topes are located. Results: We show that most of nucleocapsid protein epitopes overlap the RNA-binding and dimer-ization domains, and some of them are characterized by a low rate of evolutions. Similarly, spike protein epitopes are preferentially located in regions that are predicted to be ordered and well-conserved, in correspondence of the heptad repeats 1 and 2. Interestingly, both the receptor-binding motif to ACE2 and the fusion peptide of spike protein are characterized by a high rate of evolution. Conclusion: Our results provide evidence for conserved epitopes that might help develop broad--spectrum SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.
Identification of Conserved Epitopes in SARS-CoV-2 Spike and Nucleocapsid Protein / Forcelloni, S.; Benedetti, A.; Dilucca, M.; Giansanti, A.. - In: CURRENT GENOMICS. - ISSN 1389-2029. - 22:7(2021), pp. 541-549. [10.2174/1389202923666211216162605]
Identification of Conserved Epitopes in SARS-CoV-2 Spike and Nucleocapsid Protein
Forcelloni S.;Benedetti A.;Dilucca M.;Giansanti A.
2021
Abstract
Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel virus that first occurred in Wuhan in December 2019. The spike glycoproteins and nucleocapsid proteins are the most common targets for the development of vaccines and antiviral drugs. Objective: We herein analyze the rate of evolution along with the sequences of spike and nucleo-capsid proteins in relation to the spatial locations of their epitopes, previously suggested to con-tribute to the immune response caused by SARS-CoV-2 infections. Methods: We compare homologous proteins of seven human coronaviruses: HCoV-229E, HCoV--OC43, SARS-CoV, HCoV-NL63, HCoV-HKU1, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2. We then focus on the local, structural order-disorder propensity of the protein regions where the SARS-CoV-2 epi-topes are located. Results: We show that most of nucleocapsid protein epitopes overlap the RNA-binding and dimer-ization domains, and some of them are characterized by a low rate of evolutions. Similarly, spike protein epitopes are preferentially located in regions that are predicted to be ordered and well-conserved, in correspondence of the heptad repeats 1 and 2. Interestingly, both the receptor-binding motif to ACE2 and the fusion peptide of spike protein are characterized by a high rate of evolution. Conclusion: Our results provide evidence for conserved epitopes that might help develop broad--spectrum SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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