Advances in glycoscience to understand viral infection and colonization.

Abstract

Interactions between carbohydrates and the proteins that bind them, (i.e., lectins), are often some of the first between a host cell and a viral invader. With its highly glycosylated spike protein, SARS-CoV2 is no exception. Interrogating glycosylation is vital for understanding viral infection, yet it has been a challenge. Improvement in methods ranging from mass spectrometry to glycan arrays and modeling simulations are yielding atomic-level information about the glycans that decorate viruses and host cells alike. Through these developments, we are unmasking the sophisticated glycan trickery viruses use. These advances and insights can lead to new types of antiviral agents.