Coronavirus structure and function concerns the molecular architecture of coronaviruses and how their components mediate infection, replication, and disease. Coronaviruses are enveloped, positive-sense RNA viruses whose surface spike glycoprotein binds host-cell receptors and drives membrane fusion, making it the pr…
Coronavirus structure and function concerns the molecular architecture of coronaviruses and how their components mediate infection, replication, and disease. Coronaviruses are enveloped, positive-sense RNA viruses whose surface spike glycoprotein binds host-cell receptors and drives membrane fusion, making it the principal determinant of tropism, transmissibility, and immune recognition. Genomic and evolutionary analysis of the spike-coding gene clarifies how SARS-CoV-2 relates to other human and animal coronaviruses and how sequence variation shapes viral behavior. Beyond the virion itself, function is studied through the consequences of infection on host cells, including the pathways by which affected cells are injured and the cellular and therapeutic strategies that follow. Research connects structural features to downstream effects such as immune modulation, exemplified by interferon-gamma responses, and to pathological processes including alterations in the fibrin network underlying pulmonary and renal microthrombosis. The field also situates structure-function knowledge within the broader emergence and re-emergence of infectious diseases and the dynamics of transmission that determine epidemic potential. Sub-areas include viral genome organization and the spike protein, receptor binding and cell entry, replication and host-cell interaction, virus-induced pathophysiology, and the evolutionary comparison of coronavirus lineages. Understanding these structural and functional properties provides the mechanistic basis for diagnostics, antivirals, and vaccine design.
12 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 12 articles above have been cited 14 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Coronavirus Structure and Function, linking to each citing work.