Download MendeleyCanonical Antibodies Adopt Distinct Binding Modes to Recognize Viral Glycan Shields.
Cheng, J., Cale, E.M., Maghsoudi, A., Sutton, M.S., Longo, N.S., Gillespie, R.A., Wang, L., Kosik, I., Chong, S., Yasuhara, A., Bylund, T., Schon, A., Tripathi, P., Tsybovsky, Y., Lei, H., Morano, N.C., Lupatkin, A.B., Morton, A.J., Lang, Z.C., Becker, J.E., Frascilla, I.R., Lee, M., Li, N., Liu, C., Roark, R.S., Shen, C.H., Teng, I.T., Van Wazer, D.J., Wang, D., Wu, L., Ahlsen, G., Castro, M., Du, H., Ernandes, M.J., Li, T., Lin, B.C., Louder, M.K., McKee, K., Merriam, J.S., O'Dell, S., Ou, L., Pletnev, S., Prikryl, D., Qiu, Q., Rubin, S., Sastry, M., Schmidt, S.D., Shajahan, A., Shiakolas, A.R., Srivatsan, S., Zhang, B., Zhou, Q., Connors, M., Gall, J.G., Guo, Y., Huang, R.K., Huang, Y., Koup, R.A., Lei, Q.P., Mascola, J.R., Rawi, R., Serebryannyy, L., Shapiro, L., Sheng, Z., Ho, D.D., Wilson, P.C., Yewdell, J.W., Pierson, T.C., Kanekiyo, M., Doria-Rose, N.A., Kwong, P.D., Zhou, T.(2026) Adv Sci (Weinh) : e77172-e77172
- PubMed: 42598737 Search on PubMedSearch on PubMed Central
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.77172
- Primary Citation Related Structures:
9NPM, 9OM5 - PubMed Abstract:
Viral entry glycoproteins are often shielded from immune recognition by dense N-linked glycans that limit antibody access to protein epitopes. While glycan-reactive antibodies with unusual architectures have been described, how canonical Y-shaped antibodies engage these glycan-rich surfaces remains poorly defined. Here, we characterize two human antibodies, VRC35 and VRC36, isolated from an HIV-1-infected donor, that recognize diverse glycosylated viral glycoproteins. Cryo-electron microscopy structural analyses of these antibodies in complex with viral entry glycoproteins, including HIV-1 envelope, influenza hemagglutinin, SARS-CoV-2 spike, and the Lassa virus glycoprotein complex, reveal adaptive Fab stoichiometries ranging from single-Fab binding to dimeric and higher-order assemblies are mediated by intra- and inter-IgG interactions that depend on local glycan organization. Dense glycan clustering on HIV-1 and influenza glycoproteins supports multivalent Fab assemblies and correlates with neutralization activity, whereas sparse glycan environments on SARS-CoV-2 and Lassa virus favor weak or heterogeneous engagement without neutralization. Structural and mutational analyses further demonstrate that homotypic Fab-Fab interactions stabilize multivalent engagement and contribute to neutralizing activity. Together, these findings define a structural framework in which viral glycan organization constrains antibody valency and engagement, while somatic hypermutation contributes to the acquisition of homotypic Fab-Fab interactions that facilitate multivalent recognition of viral glycan shields.
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Organizational Affiliation:
