title: Structure of a major antigenic site on the respiratory syncytial virus fusion glycoprotein in complex with neutralizing antibody 101F.
abstract: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of pneumonia and bronchiolitis in infants and elderly people. Currently there is no effective vaccine against RSV, but passive prophylaxis with neutralizing antibodies reduces hospitalizations. To investigate the mechanism of antibody-mediated RSV neutralization, we undertook structure-function studies of monoclonal antibody 101F, which binds a linear epitope in the RSV fusion glycoprotein. Crystal structures of the 101F antigen-binding fragment in complex with peptides from the fusion glycoprotein defined both the extent of the linear epitope and the interactions of residues that are mutated in antibody escape variants. The structure allowed for modeling of 101F in complex with trimers of the fusion glycoprotein, and the resulting models suggested that 101F may contact additional surfaces located outside the linear epitope. This hypothesis was supported by surface plasmon resonance experiments that demonstrated 101F bound the peptide epitope ∼16,000-fold more weakly than the fusion glycoprotein. The modeling also showed no substantial clashes between 101F and the fusion glycoprotein in either the pre- or postfusion state, and cell-based assays indicated that 101F neutralization was not associated with blocking virus attachment. Collectively, these results provide a structural basis for RSV neutralization by antibodies that target a major antigenic site on the fusion glycoprotein.
authors.affiliation: Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA. mclellanja@mail.nih.gov
authors.forename: Jason S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: McLellan
authors.forename: Man
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jung-San
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Yongping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Barney S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Graham
authors.forename: Peter D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Kwong
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003460:Crystallization; D000939:Epitopes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D006801:Humans; D007140:Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D008958:Models, Molecular; D011485:Protein Binding; D012136:Respiratory Syncytial Viruses / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D020349:Surface Plasmon Resonance; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing; D000939:Epitopes; D007140:Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins