8ZWE | pdb_00008zwe

Cryo-EM structure of MRCoV RBD in complex with mink ACE2


Experimental Data Snapshot

  • Method: ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
  • Resolution: 3.00 Å
  • Aggregation State: PARTICLE 
  • Reconstruction Method: SINGLE PARTICLE 

wwPDB Validation   3D Report Full Report


This is version 1.3 of the entry. See complete history


Literature

A MERS-CoV-like mink coronavirus uses ACE2 as an entry receptor.

Wang, N.Ji, W.Jiao, H.Veit, M.Sun, J.Wang, Y.Ma, X.Wang, Y.Wang, Y.Li, X.X.Zhang, X.Chen, J.Wei, J.Xu, Y.Guo, D.Zhai, X.Merits, A.Li, C.Rey, F.A.Dobrikov, G.M.Gao, G.F.Zhang, S.Bi, Y.Su, S.

(2025) Nature 642: 739-746

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09007-w
  • Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
    8ZWE

  • PubMed Abstract: 

    Despite accumulating evidence that bat-derived coronaviruses often require intermediate hosts to facilitate transmission to humans 1 , the potential role of fur animals in zoonotic coronavirus spillovers has largely been overlooked 2 . Here we report the isolation and characterization of a previously undescribed mink respiratory coronavirus (MRCoV) from farmed minks with pneumonia. Notably, MRCoV uses angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as an entry receptor and can infect mink, bat, monkey and human cells. Cryo-electron microscopy analyses revealed that the MRCoV receptor-binding domain (RBD) binds to the same interface on ACE2 receptors as the RBD of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) despite structural differences. We identify the key determinants on the RBD of MRCoV and ACE2 that confer efficient binding. HKU5-33S, a bat coronavirus closely related to MRCoV, uses ACE2 of the bat Pipistrellus abramus for cell entry and requires only two amino acid substitutions to adapt to mink ACE2. SARS-CoV-2 protease and polymerase inhibitors potently block MRCoV infection, thereby indicating a potential therapeutic strategy. Collectively, these findings enhance our understanding of coronavirus receptor dynamics and highlight their zoonotic potential. Given the risks posed by fur farms as reservoirs for emerging pathogens, our study underscores the need for enhanced surveillance to mitigate future coronavirus outbreaks.


  • Organizational Affiliation

    Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, College of Veterinary Medicine, Engineering Laboratory of Animal Immunity of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.


Macromolecules
Find similar proteins by:  (by identity cutoff)  |  3D Structure
Entity ID: 1
MoleculeChains Sequence LengthOrganismDetailsImage
Spike glycoprotein234Pipistrellus bat coronavirus HKU5Mutation(s): 0 
Gene Names: S
UniProt
Find proteins for S4X422 (Bat coronavirus HKU5)
Explore S4X422 
Go to UniProtKB:  S4X422
Entity Groups  
Sequence Clusters30% Identity50% Identity70% Identity90% Identity95% Identity100% Identity
UniProt GroupS4X422
Sequence Annotations
Expand
  • Reference Sequence
Find similar proteins by:  (by identity cutoff)  |  3D Structure
Entity ID: 2
MoleculeChains Sequence LengthOrganismDetailsImage
Angiotensin-converting enzyme597Neogale visonMutation(s): 0 
EC: 3.4
UniProt
Find proteins for A0A7T0Q2W2 (Neovison vison)
Explore A0A7T0Q2W2 
Go to UniProtKB:  A0A7T0Q2W2
Entity Groups  
Sequence Clusters30% Identity50% Identity70% Identity90% Identity95% Identity100% Identity
UniProt GroupA0A7T0Q2W2
Glycosylation
Glycosylation Sites: 2
Sequence Annotations
Expand
  • Reference Sequence
Experimental Data & Validation

Experimental Data

  • Method: ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
  • Resolution: 3.00 Å
  • Aggregation State: PARTICLE 
  • Reconstruction Method: SINGLE PARTICLE 

Structure Validation

View Full Validation Report



Entry History & Funding Information

Deposition Data


Funding OrganizationLocationGrant Number
National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)China32170158

Revision History  (Full details and data files)

  • Version 1.0: 2025-03-12
    Type: Initial release
  • Version 1.1: 2025-04-16
    Changes: Data collection, Structure summary
  • Version 1.2: 2025-06-18
    Changes: Data collection, Database references
  • Version 1.3: 2025-06-25
    Changes: Data collection, Database references