Adenovirus interaction with its cellular receptor CAR

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Structural Biology
• Molecular Interactions

Background:

• Adenoviruses are common viruses infecting various human cell types.
• Adenovirus-host cell interactions are crucial for viral entry and infection.
• The coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CAR) is a key cellular receptor for many adenoviruses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review structural characterizations of adenovirus knob, CAR, and their complexes.
• To discuss the evolutionary pressures shaping adenovirus knob architecture for receptor binding and antigenicity.
• To highlight the conserved nature of CAR despite viral surface variability.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent structural studies (e.g., X-ray crystallography, cryo-EM) of knob-CAR complexes.
• Analysis of existing literature on adenovirus fiber protein structure and evolution.
• Comparative analysis of knob surface variability and CAR structure.

Main Results:

• Adenovirus fiber knob domains interact with the CAR protein.
• Knob architecture exhibits a conserved receptor-binding interface and a variable surface for antigenicity.
• CAR is a non-polymorphic receptor, suggesting conserved binding interactions across adenovirus serotypes.

Conclusions:

• Adenovirus binding to CAR is mediated by the fiber knob domain.
• The evolution of knob structure balances the need for immune evasion with conserved CAR recognition.
• CAR's conserved structure facilitates broad adenovirus tropism and infection.