#Omicron features 50 mutations, with 15 mutations in the #RBD of the spike protein, which binds to the human #ACE2 for viral entry. However, it is not completely understood how these mutations alter the interaction and binding strength between the Omicron RBD and ACE2 1/
A new study by adopting a combined steered molecular dynamics (SMD) simulation and experimental microscale thermophoresis (MST) approach tried to quantify the interaction between Omicron RBD & ACE2. 2/
And what did they find?
Omicron brings an enhanced RBD-ACE2 interface through N501Y, Q493K/R, & T478K mutations; the changes further lead to unique interaction patterns, reminiscing the features of previously dominated variants, Alpha (N501Y) & Delta (L452R and T478K). 3/
Omicron brings an enhanced RBD-ACE2 interface through N501Y, Q493K/R, & T478K mutations; the changes further lead to unique interaction patterns, reminiscing the features of previously dominated variants, Alpha (N501Y) & Delta (L452R and T478K). 3/
The Omicron mutations in RBD are associated with a 5-fold higher binding affinity to ACE2 compared to the RBD of the original WT strain. 4/
The above findings could help explain the Omicron’s prevalence in human populations, as higher interaction forces or affinity for ACE2 likely promote greater viral binding and internalization, leading to increased infectivity. 5/
biorxiv.org/content/10.110…
biorxiv.org/content/10.110…
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