Virus surface protein

Virus surface proteins refer collectively to a diverse group of structural and functional proteins situated on the exterior of viruses, including glycoproteins, envelope proteins, fusion proteins, and spike proteins[3][4][9]. These proteins mediate essential steps in the viral life cycle, primarily enabling attachment to and entry into host cells by binding to specific cellular receptors and/or mediating membrane fusion[3][4][6][7]. Major classes of viral surface proteins include class I, II, III, and IV fusion proteins, differing in structure and mechanism but sharing the role of driving entry into host cells[3][4][7]. Virus surface proteins are frequent targets for antiviral drug development and neutralizing antibodies in vaccines[3][4]. The term "virus surface proteins" does not specify a single molecule, but rather encompasses a heterogeneous family of proteins with varied sequence, structure, and function across different virus taxa, such as the spike (S) protein of coronaviruses, hemagglutinin (HA) of influenza, gp120/gp41 of HIV, and glycoprotein (GP) of filoviruses.

Other names

Virus envelope proteinViral glycoproteinViral fusion proteinViral spike proteinEnvelope glycoprotein

Inhibition of viral entry, Blockade of receptor binding, Disruption of membrane fusion