Coronavirus structural protein (CoV-SP)

Coronavirus structural proteins, commonly referred to as coronavirus antigens, are the primary components of the viral particle that interact with the host immune system and serve as critical therapeutic targets [2, 20]. The four major structural proteins are the Spike (S), Nucleocapsid (N), Membrane (M), and Envelope (E) proteins [2, 23]. The Spike protein is a class I fusion glycoprotein that mediates viral entry by binding to the host cell receptor, Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), and is the primary target for neutralizing monoclonal antibodies and most vaccines [6, 13, 25]. The Nucleocapsid protein is a highly conserved phosphoprotein that packages the viral RNA genome and is a key target for diagnostic tests and potential broad-spectrum antivirals [9, 17]. The Membrane and Envelope proteins are essential for viral assembly, budding, and maintaining the structural integrity of the virion [2, 22]. Therapeutic strategies targeting these antigens include vaccines that elicit protective immune responses and monoclonal antibodies that provide passive immunity by blocking viral attachment or fusion [7, 13, 24]. However, the rapid evolution of coronaviruses, particularly mutations in the Spike protein, poses a continuous challenge to the long-term efficacy of these treatments [17, 25].

Other names

Coronavirus antigenSARS-CoV-2 structural proteinSpike proteinNucleocapsid proteinMembrane proteinEnvelope proteinS proteinN proteinM proteinE protein

Neutralization of viral entry by blocking the interaction between the Spike protein and host receptors such as ACE2, and induction of adaptive immune responses through vaccination to provide long-term protection against infection.