Description
Recombinant 2019-nCoV Spike protein S1 subunit, RBD (N440K)(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 the most divergent region (1). N440K mutation in the RBD of the spike protein has been reported in viral sequences in India. Viruses harboring N440K mutation produce higher viral titers possibly leading to higher transmission rate (2). As these new variants displace the first-wave virus, it is pivotal to evaluate their transmissibility, virulence and their possible tendency to escape antibody neutralization (3)