SARS-CoV-2 Spike

SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2) also known as Covid19 (2019 Novel Coronavirus) is a virus that causes illnesses ranging from the common cold to severe diseases. The spike protein is a type I transmembrane protein containing two subunits, S1 and S2. S1 mainly contains a receptor binding domain (RBD), which accounts for recognizing the cell surface receptor, ACE2. S2 contains basic elements needed for the membrane fusion. Recent publications indicate that S1-RBD domain can induce virus neutralizing-antibody and T cell response.