The global spread of SARS-CoV-2 has proceeded at an unprecedented rate. Remarkably, characterization of the virus using modern tools in structural biology has also progressed at exceptional speed. Advances in electron-based imaging techniques, combined with decades of foundational studies on related viruses, have enabled the research community to rapidly investigate structural aspects of the novel coronavirus from the level of individual viral proteins to imaging the whole virus in a native context. Here, we provide a detailed review of the structural biology and pathobiology of SARS-CoV-2 as it relates to all facets of the viral life cycle, including cell entry, replication, and three-dimensional (3D) packaging based on insights obtained from X-ray crystallography, cryo-electron tomography, and single-particle cryo-electron microscopy. The structural comparison between SARS-CoV-2 and the related earlier viruses SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV is a common thread throughout this review. We conclude by highlighting some of the outstanding unanswered structural questions and underscore areas that are under rapid current development such as the design of effective therapeutics that block viral infection.

中文翻译：

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SARS-CoV-2 传播背后的病毒结构、进入和复制的三维可视化

SARS-CoV-2 的全球传播以前所未有的速度进行。值得注意的是，在结构生物学中使用现代工具对病毒进行表征也取得了惊人的进展。基于电子的成像技术的进步，加上数十年来对相关病毒的基础研究，使研究界能够快速研究新型冠状病毒的结构方面，从单个病毒蛋白水平到在原生环境中对整个病毒进行成像。在这里，我们根据从X 射线晶体学、低温电子断层扫描和单粒子低温电子显微镜。SARS-CoV-2 与相关早期病毒 SARS-CoV 和 MERS-CoV 之间的结构比较是贯穿本综述的一个共同点。最后，我们强调了一些悬而未决的结构性问题，并强调了当前快速发展的领域，例如阻断病毒感染的有效疗法的设计。