A new class of broadly neutralizing antibodies that target the glycan loop of Zika virus envelope protein.

ABSTRACT: Zika virus (ZIKV) infection poses a serious threat to human health. However, no licensed vaccine or therapeutic drug is currently available for ZIKV. We have previously shown that recombinant ZIKV E80 protein induced potent neutralizing antibody response and protected mice from lethal viral challenge. In the present study, we isolated five ZIKV neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) from E80-immunized mice. These five mAbs specifically bound and neutralized Asian-lineage ZIKV strains. Epitope mapping revealed that all of the five mAbs recognized a novel linear epitope located on the glycan loop of E protein domain I. Sequence alignment revealed that the epitope was extremely conserved in ZIKV but highly variable between ZIKV and other flaviviruses. Thus, these five mAbs form a new class

SUBMITTER: Qu P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6997156 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature