Conservation of Structural Scaffold Residues in the MERS-CoV Spike Receptor-Binding Domain from Human Lung Isolates

This dataset comprises the receptor-binding domain (RBD; residues 367–588) of the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) spike protein, derived from 14 human lung isolates. It supports the hypothesis that specific residues including R511, Y540, and the 499 - 520 loop region function as conformational stabilizers critical for maintaining RBD loop geometry, rather than direct receptor contact. Conservation levels (78.6 - 85.7%) across these sites indicate strong purifying selection, consistent with their role in structural integrity as defined by Chen et al. (J Virol 87:10777, 2013; PDB 4L3N). This data provides foundational support for understanding indirect mechanisms of immune escape and receptor engagement in MERS-CoV. Study by [e-mail]