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Structural features of glycan recognition among viral pathogens
Sreejesh Shanker1, Liya Hu1, Sasirekha Ramani2
1Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
Current Opinion in Structural Biology
|June 8, 2017
Summary
Viruses bind to host glycans on cell surfaces for entry. Structural studies reveal strain-specific viral strategies for glycan recognition, crucial for developing antivirals and vaccines.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Structural Biology
- Glycobiology
Background:
- Viral entry into host cells critically depends on binding to host glycans.
- Viruses recognize diverse glycans like histo-blood group antigens, sialoglycans, and glycosaminoglycans.
- Glycan binding dictates viral tropism, pathogenesis, and interspecies transmission potential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the structural basis of virus-glycan interactions.
- To highlight strain-specific viral strategies for host glycan binding.
- To inform the development of targeted vaccines and antivirals.
Main Methods:
- Review of structural studies on virus-glycan interactions.
- Analysis of molecular determinants in viral glycan recognition.
- Comparative analysis of viral binding strategies across different virus families.
Main Results:
- Viruses employ diverse and often strain-specific strategies to bind host glycans.
- Structural insights elucidate the molecular mechanisms of these interactions.
- Understanding these interactions is key to controlling viral infections.
Conclusions:
- Virus-glycan interactions are fundamental to viral pathogenesis and host specificity.
- Structural biology provides critical insights into viral entry mechanisms.
- Targeting these interactions offers promising avenues for antiviral and vaccine development.
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