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

• Published in: Nature structural & molecular biology Vol. 19; no. 4; pp. 424 - 429
• Main Authors: Wang, Xiangxi, Peng, Wei, Ren, Jingshan, Hu, Zhongyu, Xu, Jiwei, Lou, Zhiyong, Li, Xumei, Yin, Weidong, Shen, Xinliang, Porta, Claudine, Walter, Thomas S, Evans, Gwyndaf, Axford, Danny, Owen, Robin, Rowlands, David J, Wang, Junzhi, Stuart, David I, Fry, Elizabeth E, Rao, Zihe
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Nature Publishing Group US 01.04.2012; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 631/326/596/2148; 631/45/535; 692/699/255/2514; Adapters; Adaptor proteins; Analysis; Antiviral agents; Biochemistry; Biological Microscopy; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biosensors; Capsid - chemistry; Capsid Proteins - chemistry; Causes of; Central nervous system; Central nervous system diseases; Coxsackievirus infections; Crystallography, X-Ray; Death; Diseases; Enterovirus; Enterovirus A, Human - chemistry; Enterovirus Infections - virology; Enteroviruses; Epidemiology; Generic drugs; Genetic aspects; Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease - virology; Hand-foot-and-mouth disease; Humans; Hydrophobicity; Infectious diseases; Intermediates; Life Sciences; Membrane Biology; Models, Molecular; Molecular biology; Nervous system diseases; Pediatric diseases; Physiological aspects; Protein Structure; Receptors; Structural analysis; Structure; Structure (Literature); Uncoating; Vaccines; Viral proteins; Virion - chemistry; Virology; VP1 protein; United Kingdom; China
• ISSN: 1545-9993; 1545-9985; 1545-9985
• DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2255

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is a major agent of hand, foot and mouth disease in children, but no vaccine or antiviral therapy is available. Structural analysis of the mature virus and natural empty particles reveals that the larger empty particles resemble elusive enterovirus uncoating intermediates, allowing insight into the process of enterovirus uncoating. 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.