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IMAGE: The SARS-CoV-2 virus inserts itself into the membrane of a host human cell using a small part of its spike protein (yellow), called a fusion peptide. Computer simulations revealed the. view more
Credit: Image courtesy of Defne Gorgun.
ROCKVILLE, MD - 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. Most treatments and vaccines have focused on blocking the ability of the ship to anchor, but the next step is another potential target. New research by Defne Gorgun, a graduate student, and colleagues in the lab of Emad Tajkhorshid at the University of Illinois addresses the molecular details of this second step, which could inform the design of drugs that block it. Gorgun will present her research on Thursday,
New study sheds light on specialized compartments exhibited by Earth s single-celled ancestors
Scientists have long speculated about the features that our long-ago single-celled ancestors might have had, and the order in which those features came about. Bubble-like compartments are a hallmark of the superkingdom to which we, and many other species including yeast, belong.
But the cells in today s superkingdom have a host of specialized molecules that help make and shape these bubbles inside our cells. Scientists wondered what came first: the bubbles or the shaping molecules?
New research by Karolina Spustova, a graduate student, and colleagues in the lab of Irep Gözen at the University of Oslo, shows that with just a few key pieces these little bubbles can form on their own, encapsulate molecules, and divide without help. Spustova will present her research, which was published in January, on Wednesday, February 24 at the 65th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society.
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IMAGE: Image of the SARS-CoV-2 spike in the active position. Dark blue glycans shield the spike from the immune system, participate in activation, and stabilize the active form. The receptor binding. view more
Credit: Image credit: Lorenzo Casalino, Amaro Lab, UCSD.
ROCKVILLE, MD - One thing that makes SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, elusive to the immune system is that it is covered in sugars called glycans. Once SARS-CoV-2 infects someone s body, it becomes covered in that person s unique glycans, making it difficult for the immune system to recognize the virus as something it needs to fight. Those glycans also play an important role in activating the virus. Terra Sztain-Pedone, a graduate student, and colleagues in the labs of Rommie Amaro at the University of California, San Diego and Lillian Chong at the University of Pittsburgh, studied exactly how the glycans activate SARS-CoV-2. Sztain-Pedone will present the research on Thursday, February 2
Antibodies Can Attack SARS-CoV-2 Even When Their Spike Shape Changes technologynetworks.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from technologynetworks.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.