ABOVE: Western lowland gorilla
SKIP BROWN/SMITHSONIAN’S NATIONAL ZOO AND CONSERVATION BIOLOGY INSTITUTE
An international team of scientists has assessed the fit for the main cellular attachment point of SARS-CoV-2 in 410 species of vertebrates, including 252 mammals, to categorize those most susceptible to viral entry. The computational study, published in PNAS Monday (August 24), predicts that several critically endangered primate species are at very high risk of the virus, although the results need to be confirmed with further experiments or surveillance.
The receptor for the virus—angiotensin converting enzyme-2, or ACE2—is found in many types of cells and tissues, including in the nose, mouth, and lungs of people. The spike protein that studs the exterior of the viral particle can be compared to a key, ACE2 a lock.
In people, 25 amino acids of the enzyme are important for the virus to gain entry into cells. The scientists behind this latest study ...
