Binding and structural basis of equine ACE2 to RBDs from SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2 and related coronaviruses
Nature Communications·
- DOI
- 10.1038/s41467-022-31276-6
- PMID
- 35729237
- PMCID
- PMC9210341
- OpenAlex
- W4283314808
- Study type
- Journal article
- Publisher
- Springer Science and Business Media LLC
- Article type
- journal-article
- Integrity
- current
Why this research matters now
The findings provide experimental evidence relevant to assessing whether equine ACE2 can interact with SARS-CoV-2 and related coronavirus receptor-binding domains. They may inform prioritization of questions about animal susceptibility and cross-species transmission, but the supplied evidence does not establish infection, transmission, disease, or a population-level risk in horses.
Structured evidence summary
Research question
The study examined whether equine ACE2 binds the receptor-binding domains of SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2, selected SARS-CoV-2 variants, and related bat- and pangolin-origin coronaviruses.
Study design
This was an in vitro molecular binding and structural biology study. The authors tested ACE2-RBD binding and determined crystal structures for equine ACE2 complexes with selected coronavirus RBDs.
Population and setting
The evidence concerns equine ACE2 and coronavirus receptor-binding domains in an experimental laboratory setting. The supplied abstract does not report sampling of horses or observations in a field, clinical, or surveillance population.
Main findings
Equine ACE2 bound the tested receptor-binding domains, and the structural analyses identified SARS-CoV-2 prototype residue S494 as important for interaction with equine ACE2. The abstract reports that the N501Y substitution reduced binding affinity with equine ACE2 and concludes that horses may be susceptible targets for SARS-CoV-2.
Public-health relevance
The findings provide experimental evidence relevant to assessing whether equine ACE2 can interact with SARS-CoV-2 and related coronavirus receptor-binding domains. They may inform prioritization of questions about animal susceptibility and cross-species transmission, but the supplied evidence does not establish infection, transmission, disease, or a population-level risk in horses.
Important limitations
The supplied abstract does not state specific study limitations. This summary is limited to the supplied single-article abstract and metadata; the original paper is required for decision-grade interpretation of the experimental methods, controls, binding measurements, and applicability to animals or populations.
GIDS interpretation
The article is discoverable under One Health, outbreak investigation, and surveillance-related classifications because it addresses host-receptor interactions and possible spillover relevance. The supplied study is experimental and does not confirm or characterize a live surveillance signal.
Related GIDS surveillance
Literature context does not validate, explain, or change a surveillance signal. Exact and contextual relationships are shown separately.
Evidence relationships
This article has 8 auditable classifier relationships to diseases, places, topics, and study design.