Study reveals molecular details of SARS-CoV-2 interactions with human cells
In order to infect cells, SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, needs to insert itself into the membrane of human cells. New molecular models show what parts of SARS-CoV-2 are critical for that interaction, revealing new potential drug targets.
If the coronavirus were a cargo ship, it would need to deliver its contents to a dock in order to infect the host island. The first step of infection would be anchoring by the dock, and step two would be tethering to the dock to bring the ship close enough that it could set up a gangplank and unload.
Study explores individual differences of SARS-CoV-2 infection in ACE2-expressing stem cells
The clinical phenotype of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is remarkable for its wide range of severity among individual patients. Genetic variations are known to mediate part of these differences.
To examine these differences, researchers in a new study used human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from different genetically diverse individuals. These cells are used to model genetic disease since they contain the donor’s genetic information.
The study, published as a preprint on the
bioRxiv server, uses a panel of iPSCs from over 500 individuals. The researchers preferred undifferentiated iPSCs to reduce the time required to differentiate them, especially since infection is not always reliable.
Cannabinoid receptor agonist shows potential protective effect on SARS-CoV-2-infected human heart cells
As scientists continue to search for effective antidotes to direct and indirect damage caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a new preprint research paper posted to the
bioRxiv server demonstrates the potential of cannabinoid receptor agonists to alleviate myocardial damage in this condition even in the absence of any inhibitory effect on viral infection as such.
The features of SARS-CoV-2 infection
The SARS-CoV-2 virus appears to be a primarily respiratory virus, but it also brings about many other effects such as neurological signs and symptoms, gut symptoms, and cardiovascular features.
Scientists reveal the structure of glutamate transporter in our cells
Feb 18 2021
For the first time, researchers have found one of the most important molecular machines in our cells uses a ‘twisting elevator’ mechanism, solving a mystery of how it transports crucial chemical signals from one cell to another.
Individual transporter particles captured by the cryo-EM (left), the structure solved by averaging thousands of these individual particles (middle) and a computer simulation of the glutamate transporter in a lipid membrane revealing the pathway for chloride ions (red) (right; image credit, Shashank Pant, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
A University of Sydney-led international team of scientists has revealed the shape of one of the most important molecular machines in our cells – the glutamate transporter – helping to explain how our brain cells communicate with one another.