Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40161656›Full record

ArticlebioRxiv : the preprint server for biology2025

The furin cleavage site is required for pathogenesis, but not transmission of SARS-CoV-2.

Angelica L Morgan, Michelle N Vu, Yiyang Zhou, Kumari G Lokugamage, William M Meyers, R Elias Alvarado, Yani Ahearn, Leah K Estes, Jessica A Plante, Bryan A Johnson and 4 more

Abstract readPreprint
In one paragraph

Article in bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Angelica L MorganExperimental Pathology Graduate Program, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States.
Michelle N VuDepartment of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States.
Yiyang ZhouDepartment of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States.ORCID 0000-0001-8956-3229
Kumari G LokugamageDepartment of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States.
William M MeyersExperimental Pathology Graduate Program, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States.
R Elias AlvaradoDepartment of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States.
Yani AhearnDepartment of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States.
Leah K EstesDepartment of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States.
Jessica A PlanteDepartment of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States.
Bryan A JohnsonDepartment of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States.
Mehul S SutharDepartment of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-2686-8380
David H WalkerInstitute for Human Infection and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States.
Ken S PlanteDepartment of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States.
Vineet D MenacheryDepartment of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States.

Funding

World Reference Center for Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses (WRCEVA)R24AI120942 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MED BR GALVESTON · PI WEAVER, SCOTT C · 2016 to 2024
$8.5M
Biodefense Training ProgramT32AI060549 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MEDICAL BR GALVESTON · PI ASHOK K CHOPRA, Janice J Endsley · 2004 to 2026
$3.0M
RNA Recombination in CoronavirusesR01AI168232 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MED BR GALVESTON · PI VINEET D MENACHERY, Andrew Laurence Routh · 2023 to 2026
$2.1M
Identifying host and viral correlates for coronavirus pathogenesisR01AI153602 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MED BR GALVESTON · PI JOHNSON, BRYAN A · 2020 to 2023
$2.0M
NIAID NIH HHS R01 AI153602NIAID NIH HHS R01 AI168232NIAID NIH HHS R24 AI120942NIAID NIH HHS T32 AI060549
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The SARS-CoV-2 spike, key to viral entry, has two features that differentiate it from other sarbecoviruses: the presence of a furin cleavage site (FCS; PRRAR sequence) and an extended S1/S2 loop characterized by an upstream QTQTN amino acid motif. Our prior works show that shortening the S1/S2 loop by deleting either the FCS (ΔPRRA) or deleting an upstream sequence (ΔQTQTN), ablates spike processing, alters host protease usage, and attenuates infection

Indexed as

entryfurin cleavage siteQTQTNSARS-CoV-2spike

Identifiers

PMID40161656
PMCPMC11952389

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.