A Sweet, Spiky Story

We recently published  some exciting research in ACS Central Science titled O-Linked Sialoglycans Modulate the Proteolysis of SARS-CoV-2 Spike and Likely Contribute to the Mutational Trajectory in Variants of Concern. Led by postdoc Edgar Gonzalez-Rodriguez, we employed groundbreaking chemical tools to reveal how glycans are implicated in maturation of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. 

Our findings show that a type of sugar called sialylated O-glycans on the spike protein can impact how the protein matures into its active form by inhibiting a process called proteolysis. The highly transmissible Delta and Omicron variants show changes in the glycans on the spike protein, thus making them better at infecting cells. 

This work continues to build on our understanding of the complex interactions between SARS-CoV-2 virus and host, alongside highlighting the widespread implications of glycans in biology.