Researchers have found that the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 changes its form after it attaches itself to a human cell, folding in on itself and assuming a rigid hairpin shape. The researchers believe the knowledge can help in vaccine development.
About:
It is a protein that protrudes from the surface of a coronavirus, like the spikes of a crown or corona — hence the name ‘coronavirus’.
In the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, it is the spike protein that initiates the process of infection in a human cell.
It attaches itself to a human enzyme, called the ACE2 receptor, before going on to enter the cell and make multiple copies of itself.
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