Conservation of fiber structure and CD46 usage by subgroup B2 adenoviruses

Lars Pache1, Sangita Venkataraman, Glen R Nemerow

  • 1Department of Immunology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.

Virology
|March 14, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Subgroup B2 adenoviruses, like Ad11 and Ad35, bind to CD46. Comparative studies show Ad11 and Ad35 fibers have similar binding efficiencies to cell-associated CD46, impacting gene transfer vector selection.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Structural Biology
  • Molecular Interactions

Background:

  • Subgroup B2 adenoviruses (Ads) primarily utilize CD46 as their cellular receptor.
  • Previous research indicated similar binding mechanisms for Ad11 and Ad35 to CD46.
  • No direct comparative studies quantified the binding efficiencies of different Ad fibers to cell-associated CD46.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To structurally analyze the Ad35 fiber knob-CD46 interaction.
  • To compare the CD46 binding efficiencies of Ad11 and Ad35 fibers.
  • To elucidate the molecular basis of CD46-adenovirus interactions.

Main Methods:

  • X-ray crystallography to determine the Ad35 fiber knob structure.
  • Computational modeling to create an Ad35 fiber knob-CD46 complex model.
  • Cell-based competition assays to assess binding affinities.

Main Results:

  • The crystal structure of the Ad35 fiber knob was solved.
  • A comparative model of Ad11-CD46 interaction revealed similar buried surface areas despite differences in the interacting regions.
  • Cell-based assays demonstrated nearly identical binding efficiencies for Ad11 and Ad35 fibers to cell surface CD46.

Conclusions:

  • Ad11 and Ad35 fibers exhibit comparable binding affinities for cell-associated CD46.
  • Structural similarities and functional data suggest a conserved binding mode for these adenoviruses to CD46.
  • These findings have implications for selecting adenovirus serotypes for gene therapy applications.