What are the main SARS-CoV-2 molecules eliciting the
immune response?
Structural proteins of SARS-CoV-2 virions, such as the spike
glycoprotein, envelope, membrane and nucleocapsid, are the main
immunogenic molecules (Figure 1) .19,20SARS-CoV-2 adaptive responses develop mainly to the spike protein, and
immunodominant T and B cell epitopes have been
reported.21 Intracellularly, the viral RNA replicase
complex, and non-structural and translated proteins, activate innate
immune pathways. This leads to an IFN type I response, NF-kB activation
in epithelial cells, as well as activation of NLRP3 and other
inflammasomes, in macrophages and dendritic cells.20