Protein Illustrations Spiked Illustrations Coronavirus Illustrations

Covid-19 coronavirus binding to receptors, illustration - stock illustration
Covid-19 coronavirus binding to receptors, illustration. Molecular models of the spike proteins (red) for the Covid-19 coronavirus binding to receptors (blue) on the target cell. The receptor is an angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) type receptor, which is the entry route for all coronavirus particle types. Covid-19, which emerged in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, is a mild respiratory illness that can develop into pneumonia and be fatal in some cases. It is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 (previously 2019-nCoV) coronavirus. As of March 2020, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has spread to many countries worldwide and has been declared a pandemic. Over 200,000 have been infected with several thousand deaths.
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Covid-19 coronavirus binding to human cell, illustration - stock illustration
Covid-19 coronavirus binding to human cell, conceptual computer illustration. SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus (previously 2019-nCoV) binding to an ACE2 receptor on a human cell (not to scale). SARS-CoV-2 causes the respiratory infection Covid-19, which can lead to fatal pneumonia. ACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2) is a membrane-bound aminopeptidase, the key host receptor for the spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 which serves as initial step in the development of coronavirus infection on a cellular level and a potential target for treatment strategy.

What is the ACE2 receptor, how is it connected to coronavirus and why might it be key to treating COVID-19? The experts explain

Paul Insel, Professor of Pharmacology and Medicine, University of California San Diego, Rohit Loomba, Professor of Medicine, University of California San Diego, and Krishna Sriram, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California San Diego

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The Conversation•May 14, 2020