Coronavirus Spike Glycoprotein Protéines

S1 region attaches the virion to the cell membrane by interacting with cell receptors, initiating the infection. Binding to the receptor probably induces conformational changes in the S glycoprotein unmasking the fusion peptide of S2 region and activating membranes fusion. S2 region belongs to the class I viral fusion protein. Under the current model, the protein has at hairpin intermediate state, and post-fusion hairpin state. During viral and target cell membrane fusion, the coiled coil regions (heptad repeats) regions assume a trimer-of-hairpins structure, positioning the fusion peptide in close proximity to the C- terminal region of the ectodomain. The formation of this structure appears to drive apposition and subsequent fusion of viral and target cell membranes (By similarity). {ECO:0000250}.