Within the last two decades, SARS and MERS coronaviruses emerged as global health concerns causing severe acute respiratory syndromes. In December 2019, a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was identified in Wuhan, Hubei province in China. The SARS-CoV-2 genome encodes several non-structural proteins including the Spike glycoprotein (S glycoprotein), which plays a crucial role in the infection of the host. The C-terminal part of the Spike protein (S2, residues 686-1273) mediates the fusion of the virion and cellular membranes by acting as a class I viral fusion protein. The Spike protein S2 represents a valuable tool for drug discovery programs targeting SARS-CoV-2 infection.
