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CHEM 143: The Chemical Principles of Life II: Coronavirus

This guide contains resources to help students learn about biochemistry and to complete class projects.

Covid-19: An Illustrated Scientific Summary

"Here is a simplified, scientific summary about the novel coronavirus, information up to date as of March 29, 2020. Video Created and Produced by Yale Neuroscience Ph.D. student Clara Liao. Music by Cosimo Fogg." (website description)  YouTube (accessed 4/5/2020).

SARS-CoV-2 Structure

Produced by Molecular Memory, this video is a structural exploration of the proteins produced by SARS-CoV-2.  YouTube, April 3, 2020 (accessed April 5, 2020).

PDB FILES:

  • 6VSB - Spike protein
  • 6VW1 - RBD of the spike protein in complex with ACE2
  • 6SGC - Rabbit ribosome stalled on a poly-A tail
  • 6Y2E - SARS CoV-2 main protease
  • 6Y2F - SARS CoV-2 main protease bound to an inhibitor

REFERENCES:

  • Wrapp, D., Wang, N., Corbett, K. S., Goldsmith, J. A., Hsieh, C. L., Abiona, O., ... & McLellan, J. S. (2020). Cryo-EM structure of the 2019-nCoV spike in the prefusion conformation. Science, 367(6483), 1260-1263.
  • White, J. M., Delos, S. E., Brecher, M., & Schornberg, K. (2008). Structures and mechanisms of viral membrane fusion proteins: multiple variations on a common theme. Critical reviews in biochemistry and molecular biology, 43(3), 189-219.
  • Zhang, L., Lin, D., Sun, X., Curth, U., Drosten, C., Sauerhering, L., ... & Hilgenfeld, R. (2020). Crystal structure of SARS-CoV-2 main protease provides a basis for design of improved α-ketoamide inhibitors. Science, 20 March 2020. DOI: 10.1126/science.abb3405
  • Fehr, A. R., & Perlman, S. (2015). Coronaviruses: an overview of their replication and pathogenesis. In Coronaviruses (pp. 1-23). Humana Press, New York, NY.

COVID-19 News Links