Structural basis of Epstein-Barr virus gp350 receptor recognition and neutralization

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is an oncogenic virus associated with multiple lymphoid malignancies and autoimmune diseases. During infection in B cells, EBV uses its major glycoprotein gp350 to recognize the host receptor CR2, initiating viral attachment, a process that has lacked direct structural evidence for decades. In this study, we resolved the structure of the gp350-CR2 complex, elucidated their key interactions, and determined the site-specific N-glycosylation map of gp350. Our findings reveal that CR2 primarily binds to gp350 through an electrostatically complementary and glycan-free interface and that the diversity of key residues in CR2 across different species influences EBV host selectivity mediated by gp350. With the confirmed binding, we constructed a CR2-Fc antibody analog that targets the vulnerable site of gp350, demonstrating a potent neutralization effect against EBV infection in B cells. Our work provides essential structural insights into the mechanism of EBV infection and host tropism, suggesting a potential antiviral agent.