Figure: Structure of JUNV GP1 in complex with OD01.

Junín virus, a New World arenavirus carried by rodent populations in rural Argentina, causes the deadly Argentine hemorrhagic fever in humans. Although researchers estimate that around 5 million people are at risk of contracting Junín virus (JUNV), no internationally approved drugs are currently available to prevent or treat infection by this zoonotic pathogen. Extending previous studies aimed at understanding the antibody-mediated immune response to JUNV infection, Antra Zeltina et al. performed a structural analysis, revealing that a mouse-derived neutralizing antibody, OD01, disrupts the activity of a glycoprotein spike complex on the surface of JUNV that allows the virus to recognize and enter a host cell. Furthermore, the authors show that the antibody action of OD01 is similar to that of a previously reported mouse-derived neutralizing antibody, GD01; both immunoglobulins use a tyrosine residue to mimic a critical contact made by the JUNV glycoprotein receptor. The latter finding demonstrates that both antibodies converge on the same immunological mode of attack, thus revealing a key vulnerability in JUNV surface. The findings could aid the generation of neutralizing antibodies that target the JUNV glycoprotein surface, according to the authors. — T.J.

SEE: http://www.pnas.org/site/highlights/highlights.xhtml#structural