title: E protein domain III determinants of yellow fever virus 17D vaccine strain enhance binding to glycosaminoglycans, impede virus spread, and attenuate virulence.
abstract: The yellow fever virus (YFV) 17D strain is one of the most effective live vaccines for human use, but the in vivo mechanisms for virulence attenuation of the vaccine and the corresponding molecular determinants remain elusive. The vaccine differs phenotypically from wild-type YFV by the loss of viscerotropism, despite replicative fitness in cell culture, and genetically by 20 amino acid changes predominantly located in the envelope (E) protein. We show that three residues in E protein domain III inhibit spread of 17D in extraneural tissues and attenuate virulence in type I/II interferon-deficient mice. One of these residues (Arg380) is a dominant glycosaminoglycan-binding determinant, which mainly accounts for more rapid in vivo clearance of 17D from the bloodstream in comparison to 17D-derived variants with wild-type-like E protein. While other mutations will account for loss of neurotropism and phenotypic stability, the described impact of E protein domain III changes on virus dissemination and virulence is the first rational explanation for the safety of the 17D vaccine in humans.
authors.affiliation: Division of Immunology and Genetics, John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University. P.O. Box 334, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia. Eva.Lee@anu.edu.au
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lobigs
mesh_terms: D000330:Aedes / Q000166:cytology; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D006224:Cricetinae; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D014709:Vero Cells; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics; D022341:Yellow Fever Vaccine; D015005:Yellow fever virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*
chemical_list: D006025:Glycosaminoglycans; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D022341:Yellow Fever Vaccine; C078400:yellow fever virus envelope protein E