A sensor-adaptor mechanism for enterovirus uncoating from structures of EV71

DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2255
PMID: 22388738

Authors: Xiangxi Wang (Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Science) , Wei Peng (Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Science) , Jingshan Ren (University of Oxford) , Zhongyu Hu (National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (China)) , Jiwei Xu (Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Science) , Zhiyong Lou (Tsinghua University) , Xumei Li (Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Science) , Weidong Yin (National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (China)) , Xinliang Shen (National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (China)) , Claudine Porta (University of Oxford) , Thomas S. Walter (University of Oxford) , Danny Axford (Diamond Light Source) , Robin Owen (Diamond Light Source) , David J. Rowlands (University of Leeds) , Junzhi Wang (National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (China)) , David I. Stuart (Diamond Light Source) , Elizabeth E. Fry (University of Oxford) , Zihe Rao (Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Science; Tsinghua University) , Gwyndaf Evans (Diamond Light Source)
Co-authored by industrial partner: No

Type: Journal Paper
Journal: Nature Structural & Molecular Biology , VOL 19 (4) , PAGES 424 - –429

State: Published (Approved)
Published: March 2012

Abstract: Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is a major agent of hand, foot and mouth disease in children that can cause severe central nervous system disease and death. No vaccine or antiviral therapy is available. High-resolution structural analysis of the mature virus and natural empty particles shows that the mature virus is structurally similar to other enteroviruses. In contrast, the empty particles are markedly expanded and resemble elusive enterovirus-uncoating intermediates not previously characterized in atomic detail. Hydrophobic pockets in the EV71 capsid are collapsed in this expanded particle, providing a detailed explanation of the mechanism for receptor-binding triggered virus uncoating. These structures provide a model for enterovirus uncoating in which the VP1 GH loop acts as an adaptor-sensor for cellular receptor attachment, converting heterologous inputs to a generic uncoating mechanism, highlighting new opportunities for therapeutic intervention.

Journal Keywords: Capsid; Crystallography; X-Ray; Enterovirus; Human; Enterovirus; Hand; Foot; Humans; Models; Molecular; Virion

Diamond Keywords: Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD); Viruses

Subject Areas: Biology and Bio-materials, Medicine


Instruments: I24-Microfocus Macromolecular Crystallography

Other Facilities: Photon Factory; National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory (NSRL)

Added On: 06/09/2012 16:57

Discipline Tags:

Pathogens Infectious Diseases Health & Wellbeing Structural biology Drug Discovery Life Sciences & Biotech

Technical Tags:

Diffraction Macromolecular Crystallography (MX)