The ß-link motif in protein architecture.

The ß-link is a composite protein motif consisting of a G1ß ß-bulge and a type II ß-turn, and is generally found at the end of two adjacent strands of antiparallel ß-sheet. The 1,2-positions of the ß-bulge are also the 3,4-positions of the ß-turn, with the result that the N-terminal portion of the polypeptide chain is orientated at right angles to the ß-sheet. Here, it is reported that the ß-link is frequently found in certain protein folds of the SCOPe structural classification at specific locations where it connects a ß-sheet to another area of a protein. It is found at locations where it connects one ß-sheet to another in the ß-sandwich and related structures, and in small (four-, five- or six-stranded) ß-barrels, where it connects two ß-strands through the polypeptide chain that crosses an open end of the barrel. It is not found in larger (eight-stranded or more) ß-barrels that are straightforward ß-meanders. In some cases it initiates a connection between a single ß-sheet and an α-helix. The ß-link also provides a framework for catalysis in serine proteases, where the catalytic serine is part of a conserved ß-link, and in cysteine proteases, including Mpro of human SARS-CoV-2, in which two residues of the active site are located in a conserved ß-link.

Superimposition of Viral Protein Structures: A Means to Decipher the Phylogenies of Viruses.

Superimposition of protein structures is key in unravelling structural homology across proteins whose sequence similarity is lost. Structural comparison provides insights into protein function and evolution. Here, we review some of the original findings and thoughts that have led to the current established structure-based phylogeny of viruses: starting from the original observation that the major capsid proteins of plant and animal viruses possess similar folds, to the idea that each virus has an innate "self". This latter idea fueled the conceptualization of the PRD1-adenovirus lineage whose members possess a major capsid protein (innate "self") with a double jelly roll fold. Based on this approach, long-range viral evolutionary relationships can be detected allowing the virosphere to be classified in four structure-based lineages. However, this process is not without its challenges or limitations. As an example of these hurdles, we finally touch on the difficulty of establishing structural "self" traits for enveloped viruses showcasing the coronaviruses but also the power of structure-based analysis in the understanding of emerging viruses.