9UJE | pdb_00009uje

Cryo-EM structure of SARS-CoV2 KP.3.1.1 spike protein


Experimental Data Snapshot

  • Method: ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
  • Resolution: 3.10 Å
  • Aggregation State: PARTICLE 
  • Reconstruction Method: SINGLE PARTICLE 

wwPDB Validation 3D Report Full Report

Validation slider image for 9UJE

This is version 1.0 of the entry. See complete history

Literature

Pathogenicity, virological features, and immune evasion of SARS-CoV-2 JN.1-derived variants including JN.1.7, KP.2, KP.3, and KP.3.1.1.

Shi, J.Zhao, X.Jin, X.Li, J.Liu, Y.Liu, H.Hu, Y.F.Chen, Z.Xiao, Y.Wang, L.Wang, Y.He, Y.Chai, Y.Hu, B.Shuai, H.Wang, Y.Li, X.Jiang, S.Zhang, Y.Zhang, X.Chan, W.M.Chen, L.L.Cai, J.P.Sui, B.Zhang, H.Yang, D.Zhu, L.Yuan, S.Zhou, J.Huang, J.D.Yuen, K.Y.To, K.K.Chan, J.F.Zhang, B.Z.Wang, Q.He, M.Sun, L.Wang, P.Chu, H.

(2025) Nat Commun 16: 11002-11002

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-66018-x
  • Primary Citation Related Structures: 
    9UE6, 9UE7, 9UJE

  • PubMed Abstract: 

    KP.3.1.1 became a dominant successor to JN.1 by the second half of 2024 but the intrinsic pathogenicity and virological feature of KP.3.1.1 remain incompletely understood. Here, we comprehensively evaluated the pathogenesis and characteristics of KP.3.1.1 in comparison to JN.1 and other JN.1-derived variants including JN.1.7, KP.2, and KP.3. The unique S31del mutation on KP.3.1.1 spike confers further evasion to the clinically authorized mAb Pemivibart and reduces convalescent serum neutralization efficiency. Structural analysis indicates that S31del induces novel glycosylation sites that facilitates evasion of neutralizing antibodies. We further reveal that S31del significantly enhances pseudovirus entry efficiency in all evaluated cell types including the human primary nasal epithelial cells. Nevertheless, the intrinsic pathogenicity of KP.3.1.1 is similar to JN.1 and KP.3, and higher than that of JN.1.7 and KP.2 in a male hamster model. Interestingly, the increased virus infectivity conferred by S31del in KP.3.1.1 spike is counterbalanced by the NSP10 S33C mutation. Overall, our study indicates that a single spike mutation can confer both enhanced immune escape and increased viral infectivity. The opposing effects of spike and non-spike mutations highlight the complex interplay of viral genomic elements in shaping their overall fitness, and reveal the high plasticity of coronavirus evolution.


  • Organizational Affiliation
    • State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, and Pandemics Research Alliance Unit at The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.

Macromolecule Content 

  • Total Structure Weight: 441.88 kDa 
  • Atom Count: 20,508 
  • Modeled Residue Count: 2,584 
  • Deposited Residue Count: 3,915 
  • Unique protein chains: 1

Macromolecules

Find similar proteins by:|  3D Structure
Entity ID: 1
MoleculeChains  Sequence LengthOrganismDetailsImage
SARS-CoV2 KP.3.1.1 spike glycoprotein
A, B, C
1,305Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2Mutation(s): 0 

Oligosaccharides

Help  
Entity ID: 2
MoleculeChains Length2D Diagram GlycosylationD Interactions
2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranose-(1-4)-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranose
D, E, F, G, H
D, E, F, G, H, I
2N-Glycosylation
Glycosylation Resources
GlyTouCan: G42666HT
GlyCosmos: G42666HT
GlyGen: G42666HT

Small Molecules

Ligands 1 Unique
IDChains Name / Formula / InChI Key2D Diagram3D Interactions
NAG
(Subject of Investigation/LOI)

Query on NAG



Download:Ideal Coordinates CCD File
AA [auth C]
BA [auth C]
CA [auth C]
DA [auth C]
EA [auth C]
AA [auth C],
BA [auth C],
CA [auth C],
DA [auth C],
EA [auth C],
FA [auth C],
GA [auth C],
HA [auth C],
J [auth A],
K [auth A],
L [auth A],
M [auth A],
N [auth A],
O [auth A],
P [auth A],
Q [auth A],
R [auth A],
S [auth B],
T [auth B],
U [auth B],
V [auth B],
W [auth B],
X [auth B],
Y [auth B],
Z [auth B]
2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranose
C8 H15 N O6
OVRNDRQMDRJTHS-FMDGEEDCSA-N

Experimental Data & Validation

Experimental Data

  • Method: ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
  • Resolution: 3.10 Å
  • Aggregation State: PARTICLE 
  • Reconstruction Method: SINGLE PARTICLE 
EM Software:
TaskSoftware PackageVersion
MODEL REFINEMENTPHENIX2.0rc1_5659

Structure Validation

View Full Validation Report



Entry History 

& Funding Information

Deposition Data

  • Released Date: 2026-03-25 
  • Deposition Author(s): He, M.Z.

Funding OrganizationLocationGrant Number
National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)China32401012

Revision History  (Full details and data files)

  • Version 1.0: 2026-03-25
    Type: Initial release