Biophysical analysis of SARS‐CoV‐2 transmission and theranostic development via N protein computational characterization

Abstract

Recently, SARS-CoV-2 has been identified as the causative factor of viral infection called Covid-19, that belongs to the zoonotic beta coronavirus family known to cause respiratory disorders or viral pneumonia, followed by an extensive attack on organs that express angiotensin-converting enzyme II (ACE2). Human transmission of this virus occurs via respiratory droplets from symptomatic and asymptomatic patients, that are released into the environment after sneezing or coughing. These droplets are capable of staying in the air as aerosols or surfaces and can be transmitted to persons through inhalation or contact with contaminated surfaces. Thus, there is an urgent need for advanced theranostic solutions to control the spread of Covid-19 infection. The development of such fit-for-purpose technologies hinges on a proper understanding of the transmission, incubation and structural characteristics of the virus in the external environment as well as within the host. Hence, this article describes the development of an intrinsic model to describe the incubation characteristics of the virus under varying environmental factors. It also discusses on the evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 structural nucleocapsid protein properties via computational approaches to generate high-affinity binding probes for effective diagnosis and targeted treatment applications by specific targeting of viruses. In addition, this article provides useful insights on the transmission behavior of the virus and create new opportunities for theranostics development.

The Long-Term Presence of SARS-CoV-2 on Cold-Chain Food Packaging Surfaces Indicates a New COVID-19 Winter Outbreak: A Mini Review

“…Different countries and regions implement their own food safety management systems during the production and packaging of cold-chain products, for example, hygienic practices such as wearing clean clothing, washing hands before handling, and wearing head coverings and masks to prevent any potential microbial contamination to the food ( 21 ). It has been reported that ~90% SARS-CoV-2 transmission is due to symptomatic and asymptomatic patients, with the remaining 10% coming from the environment, including contaminated surfaces ( 22 ). Thus, person-to-person transmission of the virus in the food environment, including manufacturing, retail, and food service industries, remains the greatest risk.…”

Dimerization of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein affects sensitivity of ELISA based diagnostics of COVID-19

“…Homodimers of N protein are recorded to self-assemble into higher-order oligomeric complexes, possibly through cooperative interactions of homodimers [21] . Development of higher-order oligomeric complexes requires both dimerization domain and the expanded asymmetric moiety of the CTD [12] , [22] , [23] . Yeast two-hybrid analysis was used to demonstrate self-association of the full-length SARS-CoV N protein and the isolated C-terminal region.…”

Dimerization of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein affects sensitivity of ELISA based diagnostics of COVID-19

“…Homodimers of N protein are recorded to self-assemble into higher-order oligomeric complexes, possibly through cooperative interactions of homodimers 14 . Development of higher-order oligomeric complexes requires both dimerization domain and the expanded asymmetric moiety of the CTD 8,15,16 .…”