Although the COVID-19 pandemic was the first time most of humanity learned of the now infamous disease, the family of coronaviruses was first identified in the mid-1960s. In a new study, molecular biologist Steven Van Doren, a scientist in the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, has uncovered unexpected actions of a key player in how the coronavirus infects its target—a discovery that could guide further vaccine development.
could further inform why the fusion peptide may be an important target for vaccine development capable of fighting all types of coronavirus infections.
Another potential application of this research could be to create a novel strategy to penetrate cells. "There may be many strategies for crossing membranes, but it's conceivable that the fusion peptide work could help further development of more ways to cross cellular membranes, which could be useful to deliver therapeutics through cell membranes," Van Doren said.
Further, this research broadens understanding of protein insertion in membranes, which has broader relevance to the scientific community.look like and what they can do," Van Doren said."I got fascinated by the science when I was still a teenager, and it's intriguing to me the things they can do, so studying how proteins work has been something that has stuck with me for decades now—I'd say going on almost 40 years.
The study"SARS-CoV-2 Fusion Peptide Sculpting of a Membrane with Insertion of Charged and Polar Groups" is published inSteven R. Van Doren et al, SARS-CoV-2 fusion peptide sculpting of a membrane with insertion of charged and polar groups,
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