Bovine coronavirus spike glycoprotein (BCoV S)

The Bovine coronavirus (BCoV) spike glycoprotein is a large, trimeric type I transmembrane protein that mediates viral entry into host cells (UniProt: P11223). It is a class I fusion protein composed of two functional subunits, S1 and S2, which are typically generated by host cell protease cleavage (PubMed: 16439536). The S1 subunit is responsible for binding to host cell receptors, specifically 9-O-acetylated sialic acids, while the S2 subunit facilitates the fusion of the viral envelope with the host cell membrane (PubMed: 22531596). This protein is the primary determinant of host range and tissue tropism, contributing to both enteric and respiratory infections in cattle, such as neonatal calf diarrhea and winter dysentery (NCBI: TaxID 11128). Because it is the main target for neutralizing antibodies, the spike protein is the central component of most veterinary vaccines, including Bovilis and ScourGuard (PubMed: 30654114). Therapeutic interventions focus on blocking the S1-receptor interaction or inhibiting the conformational changes in S2 required for fusion.

Other names

Spike proteinS proteinSurface glycoproteinBCoV-S

Neutralization of viral entry by blocking receptor binding or membrane fusion