Spike protein

The red and orange parts of this coronavirus are peplomers

A Spike protein or peplomer is a glycoprotein spike on the outside layer (or capsid) of a virus.[1] When a virus attaches to a cell, these peplomers can only attach to certain receptors on the cell. They are very important for choosing which cell it attaches to and how infectious a virus is.

Spike Protein Media

Related pages

References

  1. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary (3rd ed.). Elsevier, Inc. 2007. as cited in "peplomer". The Free Dictionary. Farlex. 2011. Retrieved 30 Mar 2011.