6n5e
Broadly protective antibodies directed to a subdominant influenza hemagglutinin epitope
Structural highlights
FunctionHEMA_I68A0 Binds to sialic acid-containing receptors on the cell surface, bringing about the attachment of the virus particle to the cell. This attachment induces virion internalization of about two third of the virus particles through clathrin-dependent endocytosis and about one third through a clathrin- and caveolin-independent pathway. Plays a major role in the determination of host range restriction and virulence. Class I viral fusion protein. Responsible for penetration of the virus into the cell cytoplasm by mediating the fusion of the membrane of the endocytosed virus particle with the endosomal membrane. Low pH in endosomes induces an irreversible conformational change in HA2, releasing the fusion hydrophobic peptide. Several trimers are required to form a competent fusion pore. Publication Abstract from PubMedViral glycoproteins are under constant immune surveillance by a host's adaptive immune responses. Antigenic variation including glycan introduction or removal is among the mechanisms viruses have evolved to escape host immunity. Understanding how glycosylation affects immunodominance on complex protein antigens may help decipher underlying B cell biology. To determine how B cell responses can be altered by such modifications, we engineered glycans onto the influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) and characterized the molecular features of the elicited humoral immunity in mice. We found that glycan addition changed the initially diverse antibody repertoire into an epitope-focused, genetically restricted response. Structural analyses showed that one antibody gene family targeted a previously subdominant, occluded epitope at the head interface. Passive transfer of this antibody conferred Fc-dependent protection to influenza virus-challenged mice. These results have potential implications for next-generation viral vaccines aimed at directing B cell responses to preferred epitope(s). Influenza Antigen Engineering Focuses Immune Responses to a Subdominant but Broadly Protective Viral Epitope.,Bajic G, Maron MJ, Adachi Y, Onodera T, McCarthy KR, McGee CE, Sempowski GD, Takahashi Y, Kelsoe G, Kuraoka M, Schmidt AG Cell Host Microbe. 2019 May 14. pii: S1931-3128(19)30206-9. doi:, 10.1016/j.chom.2019.04.003. PMID:31104946[1] From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. See AlsoReferences
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