Structural Basis for Postfusion-Specific Binding to the Respiratory Syncytial Virus F Protein by the Canonical Antigenic Site I Antibody 131-2a.

ABSTRACT: The respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) fusion (F) protein is a major target of antiviral antibodies following natural infection or vaccination and is responsible for mediating fusion between the viral envelope and the host membrane. The fusion process is driven by a large-scale conformational change in F, switching irreversibly from the metastable prefusion state to the stable postfusion conformation. Previous research has identified six distinct antigenic sites in RSV-F, termed sites Ø, I, II, III, IV, and V. Of these, only antigenic site I is fully specific to the postfusion conformation of F. A monoclonal antibody 131-2a that specifically targets postfusion F has been widely used as a research tool to probe for postfusion F and to define antigenic site I in serological studies, yet its s

SUBMITTER: Peng W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12340942 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature