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Topography, spike dynamics and nanomechanics of individual native SARS-CoV-2 virions

View ORCID ProfileBálint Kiss, Zoltán Kis, Bernadett Pályi, View ORCID ProfileMiklós S.Z. Kellermayer
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.09.17.302380
Bálint Kiss
1Department of Biophysics and Radiation Biology, Semmelweis University, Tűzoltó str. 37-47., Budapest, H-1094 Hungary
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Zoltán Kis
2National Biosafety Laboratory, National Public Health Center, Albert Flórián Rd 2-6., Budapest, H-1097 Hungary
3Department of Medical Microbiology, Semmelweis University, Nagyvárad Sq. 4., H-1089 Hungary
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Bernadett Pályi
2National Biosafety Laboratory, National Public Health Center, Albert Flórián Rd 2-6., Budapest, H-1097 Hungary
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Miklós S.Z. Kellermayer
1Department of Biophysics and Radiation Biology, Semmelweis University, Tűzoltó str. 37-47., Budapest, H-1094 Hungary
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  • ORCID record for Miklós S.Z. Kellermayer
  • For correspondence: kellermayer.miklos@med.semmelweis-univ.hu
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SUMMARY

SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the current COVID-19 pandemic, displays a corona-shaped layer of spikes which play fundamental role in the infection process. Recent structural data suggest that the spikes possess orientational freedom and the ribonucleoproteins segregate into basketlike structures. How these structural features regulate the dynamic and mechanical behavior of the native virion, however, remain unknown. By imaging and mechanically manipulating individual, native SARS-CoV-2 virions with atomic force microscopy, here we show that their surface displays a dynamic brush owing to the flexibility and rapid motion of the spikes. The virions are highly compliant and able to recover from drastic mechanical perturbations. Their global structure is remarkably temperature resistant, but the virion surface becomes progressively denuded of spikes upon thermal exposure. Thus, both the infectivity and thermal sensitivity of SARS-CoV-2 rely on the dynamics and the mechanics of the virus.

One sentence summary The native coronavirus 2 displays a dynamic surface layer of spikes, a large mechanical compliance and unique self-healing capacity.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Copyright 
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
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Posted September 17, 2020.
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Topography, spike dynamics and nanomechanics of individual native SARS-CoV-2 virions
Bálint Kiss, Zoltán Kis, Bernadett Pályi, Miklós S.Z. Kellermayer
bioRxiv 2020.09.17.302380; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.09.17.302380
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Topography, spike dynamics and nanomechanics of individual native SARS-CoV-2 virions
Bálint Kiss, Zoltán Kis, Bernadett Pályi, Miklós S.Z. Kellermayer
bioRxiv 2020.09.17.302380; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.09.17.302380

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