Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41286109›Full record

ArticleCommunications biology2025

Structural insights into MERS and SARS coronavirus membrane proteins.

Mandeep Kaur Mann, Yanting Yin, Simone Marsili, Jiexiong Xie, Jordi Doijen, Robyn Miller, Madison Piassek, Nick van den Broeck, Christopher Kinyanjui Kariuki, Heidi L M de Gruyter and 11 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Communications biology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing 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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

21 authors.

Mandeep Kaur MannJohnson and Johnson, Spring House, PA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8252-6107
Yanting YinJohnson and Johnson, Spring House, PA, USA.
Simone MarsiliJohnson and Johnson, Toledo, Spain.
Jiexiong XieJohnson and Johnson, Beerse, Belgium.
Jordi DoijenJohnson and Johnson, Beerse, Belgium.
Robyn MillerJohnson and Johnson, Spring House, PA, USA.
Madison PiassekJohnson and Johnson, Spring House, PA, USA.
Nick van den BroeckCharles River Laboratories, Beerse, Belgium.
Christopher Kinyanjui KariukiJohnson and Johnson, Beerse, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6596-9304
Heidi L M de GruyterMolecular Virology Laboratory, Leiden University Center for Infectious Diseases (LUCID), Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
Anouk A LeijsMolecular Virology Laboratory, Leiden University Center for Infectious Diseases (LUCID), Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
Eric J SnijderMolecular Virology Laboratory, Leiden University Center for Infectious Diseases (LUCID), Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3297-2309
Martijn J van HemertMolecular Virology Laboratory, Leiden University Center for Infectious Diseases (LUCID), Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
Ken KeustermansCharles River Laboratories, Beerse, Belgium.
Michiel Van GoolJohnson and Johnson, Toledo, Spain.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5424-1377
Xiaodi YuJohnson and Johnson, Spring House, PA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7520-0646
Marnix van LoockJohnson and Johnson, Beerse, Belgium.
Anil KoulJohnson and Johnson, Beerse, Belgium.
Sujata SharmaJohnson and Johnson, Spring House, PA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7588-2939
Ellen Van DammeJohnson and Johnson, Beerse, Belgium.
Pravien AbeywickremaJohnson and Johnson, Spring House, PA, USA. pabeywic@its.jnj.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0008-1017-0384

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The membrane (M) protein of coronaviruses is essential for maintaining structural integrity during membrane virion budding and viral pathogenesis. Given its high conservation in lineages within the betacoronavirus genus, such as sarbecoviruses, the M protein presents as an attractive therapeutic target; however, developing broad-spectrum antivirals targeting coronaviruses such as MERS-CoV is challenging due to lower sequence conservation and limited structural information available beyond that of the SARS-CoV-2 M protein. In this study, we report 3-3.2 Å resolution structures of MERS-CoV M protein, engineered with a SARS-CoV-2-like antibody interface, representing the first human merbecovirus M protein structure, and SARS-CoV M protein structures, with and without a previously identified SARS-CoV-2 M protein inhibitor, JNJ-9676. We highlight the structural differences between the MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 M proteins, and present insights into the conservation of the JNJ-9676 binding pocket as well as key differences that could be targeted to accelerate the design of specific MERS-CoV and broad-spectrum antivirals targeting coronavirus M proteins.

Indexed as

Coronavirus M ProteinsMiddle East Respiratory Syndrome CoronavirusSARS-CoV-2Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirusViral Matrix ProteinsAntiviral AgentsCrystallography, X-RayHumansModels, MolecularProtein ConformationAntiviral AgentsCoronavirus M Proteinsmembrane protein, SARS-CoV-2Viral Matrix Proteins

Identifiers

PMID41286109
PMCPMC12644734

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-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.