Topography, Spike Dynamics, and Nanomechanics of Individual Native SARS-CoV-2 Virions

Kiss, Bálint; Kis, Zoltán; Pályi, Bernadett; Kellermayer, Miklós

doi:10.1021/acs.nanolett.0c04465

Cited by 50 publications

(73 citation statements)

References 28 publications

(58 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Their findings suggest that the spikes interspacing is ∼15 nm and they reported other densities spaced 5 to 8 nm apart, connecting the RNP (ribonucleoprotein complex: composed by the N protein and the genome) to the membrane region, but could not confidently affirm if these densities were related to M or N proteins. For the SARS-CoV-2, Kiss et al 22 and Lyonnais et al 23 reported a “bald” viral particle showing a smooth surface, without clear smaller structures. Opposingly, our data show that the viral particle membrane is crowded with smaller structures, suggesting the structural description of the proteins on the membrane surface.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For the indentation analysis, the measurements were done on the QNM Ramp Mode in fluid following the same protocol described by Kiss et al 22 Briefly, we also performed the measurements on the liquid mode, but in our case, the fluid used was culture medium solution (MEM). We used a force setpoint of 1 nN and a tip velocity of 50 nm/s, which, to our best knowledge, is lower than any other AFM study performed on the SARS-CoV-2.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

SARS-CoV-2 Unrevealed: Ultrastructural and Nanomechanical Analysis

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The ongoing outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) started in late 2019 and spread across the world, infecting millions of people, with over 3.3 million deaths worldwide. To fight back the virus, it is necessary to understand how the main structures work, especially those responsible for the virus infectivity pathogenicity. Here, using the most advanced atomic force microscopy techniques, SARS-CoV-2 viral particles were analyzed, with a special focus on their ultrastructure, adsorption conformation, and nanomechanical behavior. The results uncovered the aspects of the organization and the spatial distribution of the proteins on the surface of the viral particles. It also showed the compliant behavior of the membrane and ability to recover from mechanical injuries. At least three layers composing the membrane and their thickness were measured, protecting the virus from external stress. This study provides new insight into the ultrastructure of SARS-CoV-2 particles at the nanoscale, offering new prospects that could be employed for mapping viral surfaces. The understanding of the viruses’ capacity to survive mechanical disruptions at any level and their ability to recover from such injuries can shed a light on the structure–function relationship and help us to find targets for drug action, especially for this virus that, to this day, has no course of treatment approved.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

SARS-CoV-2 Unrevealed: Ultrastructural and Nanomechanical Analysis

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Specifically, the use of fiber mats for face masks to protect from COVID-19 is of current great interest. The virus is 62 ± 8 nm in size based on atomic force microscopy [ 35 ] and often travels in biological aerosols from coughing or sneezing that are 0.5–3 microns in size and prefer hydrophilic surfaces [ 36 ]. Current N95 masks have high filtration efficiency but are thicker than surgical masks and rather uncomfortable for long-term use in daily life.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Polyisobutylene—New Opportunities for Medical Applications

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This paper presents the results of the first part of testing a novel electrospun fiber mat based on a unique macromolecule: polyisobutylene (PIB). A PIB-based compound containing zinc oxide (ZnO) was electrospun into self-supporting mats of 203.75 and 295.5 g/m2 that were investigated using a variety of techniques. The results show that the hydrophobic mats are not cytotoxic, resist fibroblast cell adhesion and biofilm formation and are comfortable and easy to breathe through for use as a mask. The mats show great promise for personal protective equipment and other applications.

show abstract

“…Such evasion by the virus may not be an issue when it is capped by a wide pore as long as there are no other cross-reactions. 6) An interesting property of the SARS-Cov-2 virus is that the spherical membrane appears to be quite robust and resists mechanical attempts to change its shape [42]. Thus it is unlikely to squeeze through the pore of an e-cell.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using wide biological pores to cap and contain the COVID-19 spike protein

Sampath¹

2021

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Geometric analysis shows that the spike (S) protein in the COVID-19 virus (SARS-Cov-2) can fully or partially enter into the channel of a wide biological pore like perforin (PFN) or streptolysin (SLO) when the latter is anchored in a bilayer lipid membrane. The PFN channel is a β barrel formed from multiple monomers, for example a ~14 nm diameter channel is formed from 22 monomers. Coincidentally the wide canopy of S (which has three identical chains) has an enclosing diameter of ~14 nm. While inside the channel peripheral residues in the canopy may bind with residues on the pore side of the barrel. If there are no adverse cross-reactions this would effectively prevent S from interacting with a target cell. Calculations with data obtained from PDB and other sources show that there are ~12 peripheral residue triples in S within a circle of diameter ~14 nm that can potentially bind with 22 exposed residues in each barrel monomer. The revised Miyazawa-Jernighan matrix is used to calculate the binding energy of canopy-PFN barrel residue pairs. The results show a large number of binding pairs over distances of up to 38 Å into the pore. This geometric view of capture and containment points to the possibility of using biological pores to neutralize SARS-Cov-2 in its many variant forms. Some necessary conditions that must be satisfied for such neutralization to occur are noted. A wide pore (such as PFN or SLO) can also be used in an electrolytic cell to detect the presence of SARS-Cov-2, which would cause a large-sized blockade of the base current (the ionic current in a fully open pore). It can further be used to quantify the virus level in the sample. Solid-state pores, which have several advantages over biological ones, can be used instead; immune rejection is not an issue and there is no need for the spike or the virus to bind to the pore.

show abstract

Topography, Spike Dynamics, and Nanomechanics of Individual Native SARS-CoV-2 Virions

Cited by 50 publications

References 28 publications

SARS-CoV-2 Unrevealed: Ultrastructural and Nanomechanical Analysis

SARS-CoV-2 Unrevealed: Ultrastructural and Nanomechanical Analysis

Polyisobutylene—New Opportunities for Medical Applications

Using wide biological pores to cap and contain the COVID-19 spike protein

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About