The spike glycoprotein of the new coronavirus 2019-nCoV contains a furin-like cleavage site absent in CoV of the same clade

B Coutard; C Valle; X de Lamballerie; B Canard; N G Seidah; E Decroly

doi:10.1016/j.antiviral.2020.104742

The spike glycoprotein of the new coronavirus 2019-nCoV contains a furin-like cleavage site absent in CoV of the same clade

Antiviral Res. 2020 Apr:176:104742. doi: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2020.104742. Epub 2020 Feb 10.

Authors

B Coutard¹, C Valle², X de Lamballerie¹, B Canard², N G Seidah³, E Decroly⁴

Affiliations

¹ Unité des Virus Émergents (UVE: Aix-Marseille Univ - IRD 190 - Inserm 1207 - IHU Méditerranée Infection), Marseille, France.
² Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, AFMB UMR 7257, Marseille, France.
³ Laboratory of Biochemical Neuroendocrinology, Montreal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM, Affiliated to the University of Montreal), 110 Pine Ave West, Montreal, QC, H2W1R7, Canada.
⁴ Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, AFMB UMR 7257, Marseille, France. Electronic address: etienne.decroly@afmb.univ-mrs.fr.

Abstract

In 2019, a new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infecting Humans has emerged in Wuhan, China. Its genome has been sequenced and the genomic information promptly released. Despite a high similarity with the genome sequence of SARS-CoV and SARS-like CoVs, we identified a peculiar furin-like cleavage site in the Spike protein of the 2019-nCoV, lacking in the other SARS-like CoVs. In this article, we discuss the possible functional consequences of this cleavage site in the viral cycle, pathogenicity and its potential implication in the development of antivirals.

Keywords: 2019-nCoV; Antivirals; Furin; Maturation protease; SARS-CoV; Spike protein.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Amino Acid Sequence
Betacoronavirus / chemistry*
Furin / chemistry*
Genome, Viral
Protein Conformation
SARS-CoV-2
Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus / chemistry*

Substances

Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus
spike protein, SARS-CoV-2
Furin