Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Newly Emerging Coronavirus HCoV-19 Spike Protein and Human ACE2 Reveals Camouflaging Glycans and Unique Post-Translational Modifications

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to worldwide efforts to understand the biological traits of the newly identified human coronavirus (HCoV-19) virus. In this mass spectrometry (MS)-based study, we reveal that out of 21 possible glycosites in the HCoV-19 spike protein (S protein), 20 are completely occupied by N-glycans, predominantly of the oligomannose type. All seven glycosylation sites in human angiotensin I converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) were found to be completely occupied, mainly by complex N-glycans. However, glycosylation did not directly contribute to the binding affinity between HCoV-19 S protein and hACE2. Additional post-translational modification (PTM) was identified, including multiple methylated sites in both proteins and multiple sites with hydroxylproline in hACE2. Refined structural models of HCoV-19 S protein and hACE2 were built by adding N-glycan and PTMs to recently published cryogenic electron microscopy structures. The PTM and glycan maps of HCoV-19 S protein and hACE2 provide additional structural details for studying the mechanisms underlying host attachment and the immune response of HCoV-19, as well as knowledge for developing desperately needed remedies and vaccines.