Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40691508›Full record

ArticleCommunications biology2025

Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 at acidic pH is driven by partial unfolding of spike.

Irina Glas, Liv Zimmermann, Beiping Luo, Marie O Pohl, Antoni G Wrobel, Aline Schaub, Liviana K Klein, Shannon C David, Elisabeth Gaggioli, Nir Bluvshtein and 7 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Communications biology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. 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

17 authors.

Irina GlasInstitute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6976-6360
Liv ZimmermannSchaller Research Group, Department for Infectious Diseases, Virology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0651-8460
Beiping LuoInstitute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Marie O PohlInstitute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Antoni G WrobelDepartment of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6680-5587
Aline SchaubEnvironmental Chemistry Laboratory, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Liviana K KleinInstitute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Shannon C DavidEnvironmental Chemistry Laboratory, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Elisabeth GaggioliInstitute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Nir BluvshteinInstitute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Michael HuberInstitute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0384-0000
Athanasios NenesLaboratory of Atmospheric Processes and their Impacts, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Ulrich K KriegerInstitute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4958-2657
Thomas PeterInstitute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Tamar KohnEnvironmental Chemistry Laboratory, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0395-6561
Petr ChlandaSchaller Research Group, Department for Infectious Diseases, Virology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7782-2139
Silke StertzInstitute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. stertz.silke@virology.uzh.ch.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9491-2892

Funding

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (Swiss National Science Foundation) 189939Universität Heidelberg (University of Heidelberg) ExU 6.1.20_CoVLPWellcome TrustWellcome Trust (Wellcome) 303026/Z/23/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, is predominantly transmitted by respiratory aerosol and contaminated surfaces. Recent studies demonstrated that aerosols can become acidic, and acidification has been proposed as decontamination method. Here, we investigate how SARS-CoV-2 reacts to acidic pH and by which mechanism the virus is inactivated. We show that a pH below 3 is required to inactivate SARS-CoV-2 in a period of seconds to minutes. While we measured a 1000 to 10,000-fold drop in infectivity, virion structure remained intact under these conditions. Using super-resolution microscopy, we found that the attachment of virions to target cells is abrogated after acidic treatment, revealing spike protein (S) as the major inactivation target. Limited proteolysis of S combined with testing spike-specific antibodies for binding under low pH conditions revealed that exposure of SARS-CoV-2 to pH below 3 results in partial unfolding of S, thereby preventing binding of virions to target cells.

Indexed as

Protein UnfoldingSARS-CoV-2Spike Glycoprotein, CoronavirusVirus InactivationAnimalsChlorocebus aethiopsCOVID-19HumansHydrogen-Ion ConcentrationVero CellsVirionSpike Glycoprotein, Coronavirusspike protein, SARS-CoV-2

Identifiers

PMID40691508
PMCPMC12280015

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

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.