Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) viral proteins (SARS-CoV-2 peptides)

SARS-CoV-2 viral proteins and peptides represent the full structural and functional proteome of the virus responsible for COVID-19. The proteome includes four primary structural proteins—Spike (S), Envelope (E), Membrane (M), and Nucleocapsid (N)—alongside 16 non-structural proteins (NSPs) and several accessory proteins [4][10][22]. The Spike protein is the primary mediator of viral entry, binding to the host ACE2 receptor, and is the principal target for neutralizing antibodies and most current vaccines [1][3][20]. Key enzymes such as the Main Protease (Mpro/3CLpro) and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) are essential for viral replication and serve as the targets for direct-acting antivirals like nirmatrelvir and remdesivir, respectively [1][6][17]. Peptides derived from these proteins are also critical components in diagnostic assays and the development of next-generation peptide-based vaccines designed to elicit broad T-cell immunity [11][14][16]. Targeting these viral components is central to both prophylactic and therapeutic strategies to control the pandemic and address emerging variants of concern [2][5][12].

Other names

SARS-CoV-2 antigensCOVID-19 viral proteinsSARS-CoV-2 epitopesSARS-CoV-2 structural and non-structural proteinsSARS-CoV-2 proteome

Inhibition of viral replication through the blocking of essential enzymes (Mpro and RdRp) and prevention of viral entry by neutralizing structural proteins (Spike) or competitively inhibiting protein-protein interactions [1][2][6][12].