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Exploring Protein-Glycan Interactions: Advances in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

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Glycans in Virus-Host Interactions: A Structural Perspective.

Nathaniel L Miller^1,2,3, Thomas Clark^2,3, Rahul Raman^2,3

¹Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States.

Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences

|June 24, 2021

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Glycans on microbes influence host interactions, but their complex structures are often overlooked. This review highlights the structural role of glycans, particularly viral glycoproteins, in host immunity and proposes glycan-based targeting strategies.

Keywords:

2G12 glycans glycoepitope topology virus

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Chemo-enzymatic Synthesis of N-glycans for Array Development and HIV Antibody Profiling

Chemo-enzymatic Synthesis of N-glycans for Array Development and HIV Antibody Profiling

Published on: February 5, 2018

Area of Science:

Glycobiology
Virology
Immunology

Background:

Microbe-host interactions are significantly influenced by glycans, complex carbohydrates often undecorated in research compared to proteins.
Microbial glycans on glycoproteins mediate cell attachment, stability, and immune evasion, but can also be targeted by host immune systems as glycoepitopes.

Purpose of the Study:

To provide a structural perspective on the role of glycans in host-microbe interactions, with a focus on viral glycoproteins and adaptive immunity.
To discuss topological glycoepitopes and their interactions with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), using anti-HIV mAb 2G12 as a key example.

Main Methods:

Review of existing literature on glycan structures and their roles in host-microbe interactions.
Structural analysis of viral glycoproteins and their interactions with host immune components, particularly antibodies.
Case study analysis of the anti-HIV mAb 2G12 and its interaction with topological glycoepitopes.

Main Results:

Glycans play a critical, structurally defined role in mediating host-microbe interactions, including viral entry and immune recognition.
Topological glycoepitopes on viral glycoproteins can be targeted by specific antibodies, as exemplified by anti-HIV mAb 2G12.
The structural understanding of glycan-epitope interactions provides a foundation for developing novel therapeutic strategies.

Conclusions:

Structure-based glycan targeting strategies are a promising avenue for developing new antiviral therapies beyond HIV.
Further research into the structural diversity and immunomodulatory functions of glycans will enhance our understanding of host-microbe dynamics.
Targeting viral glycans offers a potential new paradigm for vaccine development and therapeutic intervention against infectious diseases.