4 ms·
No, there are not solved structures for these variants (in general). They're using computer modeling. Even if there were, changes of a single amino acid that d
by timr 5y ago
No, there are not solved structures for these variants (in general). They're using computer modeling.
Even if there were, changes of a single amino acid that don't induce significant conformational (shape) change are the sort of thing that you'd need a very good structure to discern, since they're mostly on the surface of the spike, and probably spin around a lot.
The most relevant thing to know is what a mutation / mutations looks like in the context of antibody binding, but that's even harder to get a good structure. It's not something that can be done quickly.
- rolph 5y agowhen the focus is on individual molecules it is about a statistical measure of bond angle, distance, resonanceforms, charge distribution, and rotational freedom. this ends up looking like the quantum physics conundrum where there is a central tendency rather than certainty, until you pin it down in some way. this is why we have a vaccine to begin with, the realization that there are conformational frequencies to the S protien, and a particular locus in the sequence is associated with the conformational change that sequesters the binding domain of S protien. thus the 2proline version of S was used in subsequent vaccines, allowing the ACE2 binding domain to remain exposed to the PAMP recognition machinery. it takes months or weeks depending on how well the supervising scientist receives a request, it used to take years and decades in many cases.
- timr 5y ago> this ends up looking like the quantum physics conundrum where there is a central tendency rather than certainty, until you pin it down in some way. Yes, this is always true. Entropy is real, and loss of entropy affects free energy of binding. Even "structures" aren't really structures, but instantaneous pictures of a system in constant motion.