Adenovirus fibers

Vijay Reddy group (The Scripps Research Institute) and collaborators

The groups of Vijay Reddy and Glen Nemerow at the Scripps Research Institute determined structures of two fiber knob proteins of species B adenovirus (Pache, L., et al., Virology 375, 573-579 (2008); Pache, L. et al., J.Virol. 82, 7923-7931 (2008)). Species B adenovirus is of interest because it causes infections of the upper respiratory tract, as well as of the kidney and urinary tract. But it is also under major investigation for use as a gene delivery vector in medicine. A majority of species B adenovirus (Ads) use the cellular receptor, CD46, as their primary receptor. However, different fiber knobs of different Ads have different affinities for CD46 binding, and the precise mechanisms involved in binding of different Ad fiber knob types to CD46 are not well understood. The authors have determined structures of Ad35 fiber knob, and of Ad16 fiber knob, and compared these to a structure of a complex between Ad11 fiber knob and CD46. All X-ray data were collected at GM/CA-CAT. These structures, along with biochemical data, provide better understanding towards development of more efficient Ad gene delivery vectors.

Figure: A ribbon diagram showing two subunits of the Ad16 fiber knot (red) superimposed on the complex of the Ad11 fiber knob (green) and SCR1-SCR2 of CD46 (blue).

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