Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2

Coronavirus disease 2019 is a newly emerging infectious disease that is currently spreading globally. It is caused by a new type of coronavirus, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2 plays a key role in the process of receptor recognition and cell membrane fusion, and is composed of two subunits S1 and S2. The S1 subunit contains a receptor binding domain that recognizes and binds to the host receptor angiotensin converting enzyme 2, while the S2 subunit mediates viral cell membrane fusion by forming a six-helix bundle through two heptapeptide repeat domains. In this review, we focused on the latest research progress in the structure, function and development of antiviral drugs targeting S protein.