0 a glycoprotein (= a type of protein that contains a carbohydrate group) that forms a structure that sticks out on the outer edge of a virus, which helps the virus to attach itself to a cell in a person's or animal's body and enter the cell:
Prof Rottier has developed small protein fragments, called peptides, that can attach to these "spike proteins", blocking the entry into cat cells of feline coronavirus.
The SARS spike protein gene underwent rapid change, particularly at the beginning of the epidemic.
Their research confirmed that the new virus’s spike protein clings to its target on human cells 10 to 20 times as tightly as the SARS spike protein does.
After the spike protein binds to the human cell receptor, the viral membrane fuses with the human cell membrane, allowing the genome of the virus to enter human cells and begin infection.
