title: Characteristics of Epstein-Barr virus envelope protein gp42.
abstract: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) glycoprotein 42 (gp42) is a membrane protein essential for fusion and entry of EBV into host B-lymphocytes. Gp42 is a member of the protein-fold family C-type lectin or lectin-like domains (CLECT or CTLD) and specifically is classified as a natural-killer receptor (NKR)-like CLECT. Literature review and phylogenetic comparison show that EBV gp42 shares a common structure with other NKR-like CLECTs and possibly with many viral CTLDs, but does not appear to exhibit some common binding characteristics of many CTLDs, such as features required for calcium binding. The flexible N-terminal region adjacent to the CTLD fold is important for binding to other EBV glycoproteins and for a cleavage site that is necessary for infection of host cells. From structural studies of gp42 unbound and bound to receptor and extensive mutational analysis, a general model of how gp42 triggers membrane fusion utilizing both the flexible N-terminal region and the CTLD domain has emerged.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
authors.forename: Pamela L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: Austin N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Kirschner
authors.forename: Theodore S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Jardetzky
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Longnecker
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D019295:Computational Biology; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D011485:Protein Binding; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D017385:Sequence Homology; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D053586:Virus Internalization
chemical_list: C101688:BZLF2 protein, Herpesvirus 4, Human; D006023:Glycoproteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; D002118:Calcium