Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40494932›Full record

ArticleNature nanotechnology2025

Modulation of SARS-CoV-2 spike binding to ACE2 through conformational selection.

Prithwidip Saha, Ignacio Fernandez, Fidan Sumbul, Claire Valotteau, Dorota Kostrz, Annalisa Meola, Eduard Baquero, Arvind Sharma, James R Portman, François Stransky and 6 more

Abstract read
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Article in Nature nanotechnology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Intelligent Programmable Membrane Nanosponge for Early Virus Blocking.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026
    Article
  3. Switching Spike Plasticity Shapes ACE2 Engagement Across SARS-CoV-2 Variants.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026
    Article
  4. Review
  5. Glycans Modulate the Adsorption of RBD Glycoproteins on Polarizable Surfaces.Journal of chemical information and modeling · 2026
    Article
  6. Review
  7. Competition between glycine and GABAProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2025
    Article
  8. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Prithwidip Saha *Aix-Marseille Univ., INSERM, DyNaMo, Turing Centre for Living Systems, Marseilles, France.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2600-0415
Ignacio Fernandez *Institut Pasteur, Université Paris-Cité, Structural Virology Unit, CNRS UMR3569, Paris, France.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2632-8111
Fidan Sumbul *Aix-Marseille Univ., INSERM, DyNaMo, Turing Centre for Living Systems, Marseilles, France.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2250-4280
Claire Valotteau *Aix-Marseille Univ., INSERM, DyNaMo, Turing Centre for Living Systems, Marseilles, France.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1436-8506
Dorota Kostrz *Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure, ENS, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, Paris, France.
Annalisa MeolaInstitut Pasteur, Université Paris-Cité, Structural Virology Unit, CNRS UMR3569, Paris, France.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2582-4463
Eduard BaqueroInstitut Pasteur, Université Paris-Cité, Structural Virology Unit, CNRS UMR3569, Paris, France.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4701-4181
Arvind SharmaInstitut Pasteur, Université Paris-Cité, Structural Virology Unit, CNRS UMR3569, Paris, France.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7029-9867
James R PortmanInstitut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure, ENS, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, Paris, France.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0913-262X
François StranskyInstitut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure, ENS, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, Paris, France.
Thomas BoudierAix-Marseille Univ., Multiengineering Platform, Turing Centre for Living Systems, Marseilles, France.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0148-7733
Pablo Guardado-CalvoInstitut Pasteur, Université Paris-Cité, Structural Virology Unit, CNRS UMR3569, Paris, France.
Charlie GosseInstitut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure, ENS, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, Paris, France. gosse@ens.fr.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2690-0632
Terence StrickInstitut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure, ENS, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, Paris, France. strick@biologie.ens.fr.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1744-3679
Felix A ReyInstitut Pasteur, Université Paris-Cité, Structural Virology Unit, CNRS UMR3569, Paris, France. felix.rey@pasteur.fr.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9953-7988
Felix RicoAix-Marseille Univ., INSERM, DyNaMo, Turing Centre for Living Systems, Marseilles, France. felix.rico@inserm.fr.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7757-8340

Funding

EC | EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation H2020 | H2020 Priority Excellent Science | H2020 European Research Council (H2020 Excellent Science - European Research Council) 772257EC | EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation H2020 | H2020 Priority Excellent Science | H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (H2020 Excellent Science - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions) 895819Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) RGP0056/2018
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The first step of SARS-CoV-2 infection involves the interaction between the viral trimeric spike protein (S) and the host angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). The receptor-binding domain (RBD) of S adopts two conformations: open and closed, respectively accessible and inaccessible to ACE2. Although these changes surely affect ACE2 binding, a quantitative description of the underlying mechanisms has remained elusive. Here we visualize RBD opening and closing using high-speed atomic force microscopy, gaining access to the corresponding transition rates. We also probe the S/ACE2 interaction at the ensemble level with biolayer interferometry and at the single-molecule level with atomic force microscopy and magnetic tweezers, evidencing that RBD dynamics hinder ACE2 binding but have no effect on unbinding. The resulting modulation is quantitatively predicted by a conformational selection model in which each S protomer behaves independently. Our work thus reveals a molecular mechanism by which RBD accessibility and binding strength can be tuned separately, providing hints to better understand the joint evolution of immune evasion and infectivity.

Indexed as

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2COVID-19SARS-CoV-2Spike Glycoprotein, CoronavirusBinding SitesHumansMicroscopy, Atomic ForceProtein BindingProtein ConformationProtein DomainsACE2 protein, humanAngiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirusspike protein, SARS-CoV-2

Identifiers

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.