An intrinsically disordered region of the adenovirus capsid is implicated in neutralization by human alpha defensin 5

Human α-defensins are proteins of the innate immune system that suppress viral and bacterial infections by multiple mechanisms including membrane disruption. For viruses that lack envelopes, such as human adenovirus (HAdV), other, less well defined, mechanisms must be involved. A previous structural study on the interaction of an α-defensin, human α-defensin 5 (HD5), with HAdV led to a proposed mechanism in which HD5 stabilizes the vertex region of the capsid and blocks uncoating steps required for infectivity. Studies with virus chimeras comprised of capsid proteins from sensitive and resistant serotypes supported this model. To further characterize the critical binding site, we determined subnanometer resolution cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM) structures of HD5 complexed with both neutralization-sensitive and -resistant HAdV chimeras. Models were built for the vertex regions of these chimeras with monomeric and dimeric forms of HD5 in various initial orientations. CryoEM guided molecular dynamics flexible fitting (MDFF) was used to restrain the majority of the vertex model in well-defined cryoEM density. The RGD-containing penton base loops of both the sensitive and resistant virus chimeras are predicted to be intrinsically disordered, and little cryoEM density is observed for them. In simulations these loops from the sensitive virus chimera, interact with HD5, bridge the penton base and fiber proteins, and provides significant stabilization with a three-fold increase in the intermolecular nonbonded interactions of the vertex complex. In the case of the resistant virus chimera, simulations revealed fewer bridging interactions and reduced stabilization by HD5. This study implicates a key dynamic region in mediating a stabilizing interaction between a viral capsid and a protein of the innate immune system with potent anti-viral activity.