J. A. Jaimes

SARS-CoV-2 serosurvey of healthy, privately owned cats presenting to a New York City animal hospital in the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021)

This study reports a serosurvey of cats in New York City during the early pandemic, finding 16% seropositive for SARS-CoV-2 with higher prevalence in fall 2020 and evidence of human-cat transmission.

Protein design for evaluating vaccines against future viral variation

The paper designs SARS-CoV-2 Spike proteins with novel mutations to evaluate vaccine effectiveness against future viral variants using a deep learning model.

S:D614G and S:H655Y are gateway mutations that act epistatically to promote SARS-CoV-2 variant fitness

This study shows that S:D614G and S:H655Y mutations enhance SARS-CoV-2 infectivity by stabilizing the Spike protein in an open RBD conformation, acting epistatically with the polybasic S1/S2 cleavage site.

Intrinsic furin-mediated cleavability of the spike S1/S2 site from SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.529 (Omicron)

This study assesses the furin cleavage site of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, finding increased intrinsic cleavability due to mutations N679K and P681H compared to ancestral and other variants.

A mechanistic understanding of the modes of Ca2+ ion binding to the SARS-CoV-1 fusion peptide and their role in the dynamics of host membrane penetration

This study identifies specific Ca2+ binding residue pairs in SARS-CoV-1 fusion peptide that promote or inhibit membrane insertion through molecular dynamics and biological assays.

Inhibitors of L-type calcium channels show therapeutic potential for treating SARS-CoV-2 infections by preventing virus entry and spread

This study tests L-type calcium channel blockers for inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 infection in cell culture, finding that felodipine and nifedipine limit virus entry and infection with minimal toxicity.

Spike protein cleavage-activation mediated by the SARS-CoV-2 P681R mutation: a case-study from its first appearance in variant of interest (VOI) A.23.1 identified in Uganda

The paper analyzes the P681R mutation in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein of variant A.23.1, showing increased furin cleavage and infectivity compared to earlier variants, but only when combined with other spike changes.

Functional evaluation of the P681H mutation on the proteolytic activation the SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7 (Alpha) spike

This study evaluates the impact of the P681H mutation in the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 spike on furin cleavage and viral entry, finding no significant effect on these processes.

Coagulation factors directly cleave SARS-CoV-2 spike and enhance viral entry

This study shows coagulation factors like factor Xa and thrombin directly cleave SARS-CoV-2 spike, enhancing viral entry, and suggests anticoagulation could reduce infection.

Proteolytic activation of SARS-CoV-2 spike at the S1/S2 boundary: potential role of proteases beyond furin

This study investigates the role of S1/S2 cleavage in SARS-CoV-2 spike protein activation, showing its necessity for early pathway entry in Calu-3 cells and involvement of proteases beyond furin.

Structural modeling of 2019-novel coronavirus (nCoV) spike protein reveals a proteolytically-sensitive activation loop as a distinguishing feature compared to SARS-CoV and related SARS-like coronaviruses

The paper models the structure of 2019-nCoV spike protein and identifies a proteolytically-sensitive loop that distinguishes it from SARS-CoV.