Direct Blockade of the Norovirus Histo-Blood Group Antigen Binding Pocket by Nanobodies

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Kher, Gargi
Sabin, Charles
Lun, Jennifer
Devant, Jessica
Ruoff, Kerstin
Koromyslova, Anna
von Itzstein, Mark
Pancera, Marie
Hansman, Grant
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Schultz-Cherry, Stacey

Date
2023
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Abstract

Noroviruses are the leading cause of outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis. These viruses usually interact with histo-blood group antigens (HBGAs), which are considered essential cofactors for norovirus infection. This study structurally characterizes nanobodies developed against the clinically important GII.4 and GII.17 noroviruses with a focus on the identification of novel nanobodies that efficiently block the HBGA binding site. Using X-ray crystallography, we have characterized nine different nanobodies that bound to the top, side, or bottom of the P domain. The eight nanobodies that bound to the top or side of the P domain were mainly genotype specific, while one nanobody that bound to the bottom cross-reacted against several genotypes and showed HBGA blocking potential. The four nanobodies that bound to the top of the P domain also inhibited HBGA binding, and structural analysis revealed that these nanobodies interacted with several GII.4 and GII.17 P domain residues that commonly engaged HBGAs. Moreover, these nanobody complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) extended completely into the cofactor pockets and would likely impede HBGA engagement. The atomic level information for these nanobodies and their corresponding binding sites provide a valuable template for the discovery of additional “designer” nanobodies. These next-generation nanobodies would be designed to target other important genotypes and variants, while maintaining cofactor interference. Finally, our results clearly demonstrate for the first time that nanobodies directly targeting the HBGA binding site can function as potent norovirus inhibitors.

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Journal of Virology

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97

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4

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Virology

Agricultural, veterinary and food sciences

Biological sciences

Biomedical and clinical sciences

Science & Technology

Life Sciences & Biomedicine

nanobody

antiviral

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Kher, G; Sabin, C; Lun, J; Devant, J; Ruoff, K; Koromyslova, A; von Itzstein, M; Pancera, M; Hansman, G, Direct Blockade of the Norovirus Histo-Blood Group Antigen Binding Pocket by Nanobodies, Journal of Virology, 2023, 97 (4), pp. e01833-22

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