This is how the coronavirus hijacks our cells to become more contagious

The coronavirus hijacks a cell mechanism to become more contagious. Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) have discovered this infection tactic.

The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, focused on the virus’ spike protein, which allows entry into human cells, EPFL announced on Wednesday.

The virus takes control of an enzyme called ZDHHC20. This enzyme marks proteins containing small fat molecules – including the spike protein of the coronavirus. This is crucial for the virus to fuse with its target cells.

In the new study, the researchers were able to demonstrate that the virus optimizes ZDHHC20. Specifically, it changes the genetic blueprint of the enzyme. This change ensures that the enzyme produced contains 67 extra amino acids.

This genetic ‘optimization’ allows the enzyme to increase the lipid-adding activity on the virus’ spike protein by 37-fold. This in turn leads to greatly increased contagiousness.

This discovery could ultimately help develop more effective treatments against the Coria virus, EPFL said. The researchers also suspect that other viruses also use this tactic to become more contagious.

(jam/sda)