Inhibition of Marburg Virus RNA Synthesis by a Synthetic Anti-VP35 Antibody
Marburg virus causes sporadic outbreaks of severe hemorrhagic fever with high case fatality rates. Approved, effective, and safe therapeutic or prophylactic countermeasures are lacking. To address this, we used phage display to engineer a synthetic antibody, sFab H3, which binds the Marburg virus VP35 protein (mVP35). mVP35 is a critical cofactor of the viral replication complex and a viral immune antagonist. sFab H3 displayed high specificity for mVP35 and not for the closely related Ebola virus VP35. sFab H3 inhibited viral-RNA synthesis in a minigenome assay, suggesting its potential use as an antiviral. Furthermore, we characterized sFab H3 by a combination of biophysical and biochemical methods, and a crystal structure of the complex solved to 1.7 Å resolution defined the molecular interface between the sFab H3 and mVP35 interferon inhibitory domain. Our study identifies mVP35 as a therapeutic target using an approach that provides a framework for generating engineered Fabs targeting other viral proteins.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Advanced Photon Source (APS)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER); National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC02-06CH11357; P01AI120943; R01AI140758; P41GM103422
- OSTI ID:
- 1561308
- Journal Information:
- ACS Infectious Diseases, Vol. 5, Issue 8; ISSN 2373-8227
- Publisher:
- American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- ENGLISH
Web of Science
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