TY - JOUR
T1 - Proteases and variants
T2 - context matters for SARS-CoV-2 entry assays
AU - Stevens, Christian S.
AU - Oguntuyo, Kasopefoluwa Y.
AU - Lee, Benhur
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2021/10
Y1 - 2021/10
N2 - Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), like other coronaviruses, relies on a flexible array of entry mechanisms, driven by the spike (S) protein. Entry is dependent on proteolytic priming, activation, and receptor binding; all of which can be variable, dependent on context. Here we review the implications of the complexity of SARS-CoV-2 entry pathways on entry assays that then drive our understanding of humoral immunity, therapeutic efficacy, and tissue restriction. We focus especially on the proteolytic activation of SARS-CoV-2 spike and how this constellation of proteases lends deeper insight to our understanding of arising variants and their putative role transmission or variable pathogenicity in vivo. In this review, we argue for better universal standards to assay virus entry as well as suggest best practices for reporting viral passage number, the cell line used, and proteases present, among other important considerations.
AB - Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), like other coronaviruses, relies on a flexible array of entry mechanisms, driven by the spike (S) protein. Entry is dependent on proteolytic priming, activation, and receptor binding; all of which can be variable, dependent on context. Here we review the implications of the complexity of SARS-CoV-2 entry pathways on entry assays that then drive our understanding of humoral immunity, therapeutic efficacy, and tissue restriction. We focus especially on the proteolytic activation of SARS-CoV-2 spike and how this constellation of proteases lends deeper insight to our understanding of arising variants and their putative role transmission or variable pathogenicity in vivo. In this review, we argue for better universal standards to assay virus entry as well as suggest best practices for reporting viral passage number, the cell line used, and proteases present, among other important considerations.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85111945860&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.coviro.2021.07.004
DO - 10.1016/j.coviro.2021.07.004
M3 - Review article
C2 - 34365113
AN - SCOPUS:85111945860
SN - 1879-6257
VL - 50
SP - 49
EP - 58
JO - Current Opinion in Virology
JF - Current Opinion in Virology
ER -