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Title: Immunogenetic and structural analysis of a class of HCV broadly neutralizing antibodies and their precursors

Journal Article · · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

Elicitation of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) is a leading strategy in rational vaccine design against antigenically diverse pathogens. Here, we studied a panel of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) from mice immunized with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) envelope glycoproteins E1E2. Six of the mAbs recognize the conserved E2 antigenic site 412–423 (AS412) and cross-neutralize diverse HCV genotypes. Immunogenetic and structural analysis revealed that the antibodies originated from two different germline (GL) precursors and bind AS412 in a β-hairpin conformation. Intriguingly, the anti-HCV activity of one antibody lineage is associated with maturation of the light chain (LC), whereas the other lineage is dependent on heavy-chain (HC) maturation. Crystal structures of GL precursors of the LC-dependent lineage in complex with AS412 offer critical insights into the maturation process of bnAbs to HCV, thus providing a scientific foundation for utilizing the mouse model to study AS412-targeting vaccine candidates.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Advanced Photon Source (APS)
Sponsoring Organization:
National Institutes of Health (NIH); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER); National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS); National Center for Research Resources
Grant/Contract Number:
AI079031; AI106005; AI123365; AI123861; AC02-06CH11357
OSTI ID:
1497190
Report Number(s):
29637
Journal Information:
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Vol. 115, Issue 29; ISSN 0027-8424
Publisher:
National Academy of SciencesCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
ENGLISH
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 9 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (2)

Hepatitis C Virus Envelope Glycoproteins: A Balancing Act of Order and Disorder journal August 2018
Flexibility and intrinsic disorder are conserved features of hepatitis C virus E2 glycoprotein journal February 2020