Cryo-EM structure of the 2019-nCoV spike in the prefusion conformation
The authors determined a 3.5 angstrom cryo-EM structure of the SARS-CoV-2 (2019-nCoV) spike glycoprotein ectodomain stabilized in the prefusion conformation. They showed the receptor-binding domain engages human ACE2 with roughly 10- to 20-fold higher affinity than the SARS-CoV-1 spike, helping explain efficient human transmission. They also found that SARS-CoV-1 receptor-binding antibodies did not appreciably bind the new spike, informing vaccine and therapeutic design.