Molecular Virology of SARS-CoV-2 and Related Coronaviruses

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The global COVID-19 pandemic continues to threaten the lives of hundreds of millions of people, with a severe negative impact on the global economy. Although several COVID-19 vaccines are currently being administered, none of them is 100% effective. Moreover, SARS-CoV-2 variants remain an important worldwide public health issue. Hence, the accelerated development of efficacious antiviral agents is urgently needed. Coronavirus depends on various host cell factors for replication. An ongoing research objective is the identification of host factors that could be exploited as targets for drugs and compounds effective against SARS-CoV-2. In the present review, we discuss the molecular mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 and related coronaviruses, focusing on the host factors or pathways involved in SARS-CoV-2 replication that have been identified by genome-wide CRISPR screening.