Description
Recombinant 2019-nCoV Spike protein S1 subunit, RBD (N439K)(319-541) was expressed in CHO cells using a C-terminal his tag. The gene accession number is MN908947.
The receptor binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein that recognizes the host ACE2 receptor is a major determinant of viral entry and neutralization, and is also the most divergent region (1). N439K variant of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein has been reported in 34 countries since January 2021. N439K Spike protein has enhanced binding affinity to the hACE2 receptor through formation of new salt bridges, however there is no evidence for change in disease severity compared to wild type (2). Hence, as the new variants displace the first-wave virus, it is pivotal to evaluate their transmissibility, virulence and their possible tendency to escape antibody neutralization (3)