Biology subjects

Horwitz, J. A.

Publications and source records attributed to Horwitz, J. A..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2022

Visualizing Molecular Interactions that Determine Assembly of a Bullet-Shaped Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Particle

Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) is a negative-strand RNA virus with a non-segmented genome, closely related to rabies virus. Both have characteristic bullet-like shapes. We report the structure of intact, infectious VSV particles determined by cryogenic electron microscopy. By compensating for polymorphism among viral particles with computational classification, we obtained a reconstruction of the shaft ("trunk") at 3.5 [A] resolution, with lower resolution for the rounded tip. The ribonucleoprotein (RNP), genomic RNA complexed with nucleoprotein (N), curls into a dome-like structure with about eight gradually expanding turns before transitioning into the regular helical trunk. Two layers of matrix (M) protein link the RNP with the membrane. Radial inter-layer subunit contacts are fixed within single RNA-N-M1-M2 modules, but flexible lateral and axial interactions allow assembly of polymorphic virions. Together with published structures of recombinant N in various states, our results suggest a mechanism for membrane- coupled self-assembly of VSV and its relatives.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2022

HIV-1 Vpu restricts Fc-mediated effector functions in vivo

Non-neutralizing antibodies (nnAbs) can eliminate HIV-1-infected cells via antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and were identified as a correlate of protection in the RV144 vaccine trial. Fc-mediated effector functions of nnAbs were recently shown to alter the course of HIV-1 infection in vivo using a vpu-defective virus. Since Vpu is known to downregulate cell surface CD4, which triggers conformational changes in the viral envelope glycoprotein (Env), we ask whether the lack of Vpu expression was linked to the observed nnAbs activity. We found that restoring Vpu expression greatly reduces nnAb recognition of infected cells, rendering them resistant to ADCC responses. Moreover, administration of a nnAb in humanized mice reduces viral loads only in animals infected with a vpu-defective but not with a wildtype virus. Finally, nnAb Fc-effector functions are observed only on cells expressing Env in the "open" conformation. This work highlights the importance of Vpu-mediated evasion of humoral responses.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2019

Structure of a rabies virus polymerase complex from electron cryo-microscopy

Non-segmented negative-stranded (NNS) RNA viruses, among them the virus that causes rabies (RABV), include many deadly human pathogens. The large polymerase (L) proteins of NNS-RNA viruses carry all the enzymatic functions required for viral mRNA transcription and replication: RNA polymerization, mRNA capping, cap methylation. We describe here a complete structure of RABV L bound with its phosphoprotein cofactor (P), determined by electron cryo-microscopy at 3.3 [A] resolution. The complex closely resembles vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) L-P, the one other known full-length NNS-RNA L protein structure, with key local differences (e.g., in L-P interactions). Like the VSV L-P structure, the RABV complex analyzed here represents a pre-initiation conformation. Comparison with the likely elongation state, seen in two partial structures of pneumovirus L-P complexes, suggests differences between priming/initiation and elongation complexes. Analysis of internal cavities within RABV L suggests distinct template and product entry and exit pathways during transcription and replication.

molecular biology↗