Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2

Coronavirus

Context (archaeology)

2019-20 coronavirus outbreak

Cell biology

Biology

Virology

Receptor

Biochemistry

Protein structure

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)

Plasma protein binding

Outbreak

Computational biology

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Paleontology

Genetics

Infectious disease (medical specialty)

Medicine

Disease

Pathology

Science

How SARS-CoV-2 binds to human cells Scientists are racing to learn the secrets of severe acute respiratory syndrome–coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is the cause of the pandemic disease COVID-19. The first step in viral entry is the binding of the viral trimeric spike protein to the human receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Yan et al. present the structure of human ACE2 in complex with a membrane protein that it chaperones, B 0 AT1. In the context of this complex, ACE2 is a dimer. A further structure shows how the receptor binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 interacts with ACE2 and suggests that it is possible that two trimeric spike proteins bind to an ACE2 dimer. The structures provide a basis for the development of therapeutics targeting this crucial interaction. Science , this issue p. 1444

Structural basis for the recognition of SARS-CoV-2 by full-length human ACE2