PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Andrea Vandelli
AU  - Michele Monti
AU  - Edoardo Milanetti
AU  - Riccardo Delli Ponti
AU  - Gian Gaetano Tartaglia
TI  - Structural analysis of SARS-CoV-2 and predictions of the human interactome
AID  - 10.1101/2020.03.28.013789
DP  - 2020 Jan 01
TA  - bioRxiv
PG  - 2020.03.28.013789
4099  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2020/04/09/2020.03.28.013789.short
4100  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2020/04/09/2020.03.28.013789.full
AB  - We calculated the structural properties of >2500 coronaviruses and computed >100000 human protein interactions with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Using the CROSS method, we found that the SARS-CoV-2 region encompassing nucleotides 23000 - 24000 is highly conserved at the structural level, while the region upstream varies significantly. These two sequences are important for viral infection as they code for a domain of the viral protein Spike S interacting with the human receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and, in the close homologue from Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), sialic acids. We predict highly structured regions at the 5’ and 3’ where our calculations indicate strong propensity to bind to human proteins involved in viral replication. Using the catRAPID method, we identified that the 5’ interacts with double-stranded RNA-specific editase 1 ADARB1, 2-5A-dependent ribonuclease RNASEL, ATP-dependent RNA helicase DDX1 and A-kinase anchor protein 8-like AKAP8L, in addition to >10 high-confidence candidate partners. These interactions, also implicated in HIV replication, should be further investigated for a better understanding of host-virus interaction mechanisms.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.