SARS COV2

How does the SARS cov2 pandemic rank in terms of small pox?

No where near as bad. 300-500 million deaths compared to 6 million deaths worldwide

How many human coronaviruses are there?

7 total human coronavirus’s

Do viruses have different fatality rates, and infection rates? Which three are the most deadly? Which is the most contagious? What is the least deadly and least contagious?

Yes, MERS Bird flu and Ebola are some of the most deadly viruses. Measles is the most contagious virus. The common cold and the chickenpox are some of the least contagious and least deadly viruses.

Was SARS COV2 as deadly as MERS and SARS?

No

What is Zoonotic transfer?

The transfer of an infectious disease between species from animal to humans or humans to animal.

What is the natural host of all coronaviruses?

The bat!

What is the intermediate host of SARS ?

A civet

What is the intermediate host of MERS?

A camel

What is the intermediate Host of SARS COV2?

Raccoon dog

Where was the origin of SARS COV2?

Huanan Seafood Wholesale Markey (Wet market), Wuhan China

How many variants were found? Why did this support market vs lab leak theory?

Two, because it is more probable that two sick animals made multiple people at the market sick rather than have two separate introductions from the same lab

Can you synthesize the coronavirus from scratch?

Yes

Where does the name corona come from in coronavirus?

The name codon comes from crown

Epidemics/ pandemics

What’s re the largest known RNA viruses?

Coronaviruses are the largest RNA viruses

Describe how you can become infected with SARS?

How is MERS transmitted?

Where does the Covid-19 spike protein bind? What is it called?

To its receptor. It is named ACE2.

Where is the ACE2 protein located?

On the surface of lung epithelial cells

And other cells (

A spike protein is what? Describe how this is assembled?

A spike protein is a trimer. A trimer is made up of 3 monomers put together. Protomer A,B and C

What does every single spike protomer have?

A NTD N-terminal domain and a RBDreceptor binding domain and a CD connector domain

Why would a virus want to add sugars to a protein? What is this called? Why is this significant towards vaccine development?

To create a protective coating (shield) the would prevent antibodies from binding to the proteins and destroying them.

This is called glycan shield. This is significant towards vaccine development because the vaccine has to overcome this glycan shield obstacle to be effective.

What are the perfusion spike protein confirmations?

The receptor binding domain usually has an arm down. But in the prefusion spike protein confirmations one arm swings up to allow the receptor to better bind to the spike protein. The protein will change its shape confirmation upon binding to the cell receptor.

What is the spike protein cleaved by? Are there 1 cut or 2 cuts to the receptor binding motif?

The spike protein is cleaved by furin at the s1/s2 regions. Two cuts occur furin cuts the spike protein and trans membrane protease Serine 2 (TMPRSS2) cuts the protease site s2’.

Where does furin cleave?

Between S1 and S2.

NSP1 is what? What does it do?

Leader protein, host translation inhibitor. Mediates RNA replication and processing. Involved in mRNA degradation.

Describe the steps of SARS COV2 binding and fusion?

1 The receptor binding domain normally has a down confirmation.

2. The receptor binding domain changes its confirmation to 1 up confirmation.

3. Next ACE2 binds to Receptor binding domain in the up confirmation.

4. This binding causes a protein conformation change and cleavage. Forming the Fusion intermediate.

5. The FP is inserted into the cell membrane propelled by HR1 transformation

6. S1 dissociation induces S2 conformational changes

7. Causes HR2 to fold back in the places FP is juxtaposed to TM.

8. Postfusion state and viral penetration. Membranes in proximity form a fusion pore. This allows the viral genome to release into the cell

The mechanisms of the SARS COV2 entry into cells is similar to which other virus?

Flavivirus ( the folding of lipid membrane)