Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak

Anatomical assemblage of SARS-CoV-2

The Novel Coronavirus or COVID-19 reside to the largest family of the RNA viruses and it is single-stranded enveloped RNA virus with a 5’-cap structure and 3; -Poly-A tail. The virus has main 4 structural proteins M (membrane protein), N (Nucleocapsid protein), E (Envelope protein), and S (Spike protein) which regulates the function of these viral structures. Only N and S proteins help in the development of capsid and whole viral structure. It has been noted that the SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV have the same kind of receptors mainly the receptor-binding domain in the viral genome.

In case of SARS infection, the receptor-binding motif of the Spike protein gets immediately bound to the ACE2 (Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2) in the host cells. Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 protein is expressed in the many organs of the human body such as intestine, lungs, kidney, and the main host cells of Coronavirus. Moreover, no present study has confirmed that it will reduce the men’s fertility but Wuhan has observed that the disease can affect the development or production of sperm preceding to low sperm count.

It has been also observed that the receptor-binding motif’s of the Novel coronaviruses has a significant amino acid residue (Gln493) that helps the binding and fusion of Viral Spike protein with the virus into the ACE2 protein of the human cells mainly the lung cells which results in respiratory illness in humans. These data suggest that the receptors and their target basis of viral replication would be a good step to find a cure for the SARS-CoV-2 disease.