Structures of the Hepaci-, Pegi-, and Pestiviruses envelope proteins suggest a novel membrane fusion mechanism.

ABSTRACT: Enveloped viruses encode specialised glycoproteins that mediate fusion of viral and host membranes. Discovery and understanding of the molecular mechanisms of fusion have been achieved through structural analyses of glycoproteins from many different viruses, and yet the fusion mechanisms of some viral genera remain unknown. We have employed systematic genome annotation and AlphaFold modelling to predict the structures of the E1E2 glycoproteins from 60 viral species in the Hepacivirus, Pegivirus, and Pestivirus genera. While the predicted structure of E2 varied widely, E1 exhibited a very consistent fold across genera, despite little or no similarity at the sequence level. Critically, the structure of E1 is unlike any other known viral glycoprotein. This suggests that the Hepaci-, Pegi-, an

SUBMITTER: Oliver MR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10335668 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature