GoKawiilResearchers produce soluble hantavirus spike proteins for structural analysis
Scientists engineered Drosophila cells to express soluble spike proteins of Andes virus (ANDV) by inserting synthetic genes for the viral Gn and Gc proteins into specialized plasmids. They designed a hetero-octamerization domain to stabilize the proteins and introduced mutations to prevent aggregation, enabling purification for structural studies. Stable cell lines were cultivated to produce sufficient quantities of these proteins for further research.
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This development could facilitate detailed structural studies of hantavirus entry mechanisms, potentially aiding vaccine and therapeutic design. Producing stable, soluble spike proteins is a crucial step in understanding how these viruses recognize and infect host cells, which may influence future antiviral strategies.
- Engineered Drosophila cells to produce hantavirus spike proteins
- Designed stabilization domains for structural analysis
- Supports future vaccine and antiviral research
Source: nature.com — Battini, 2026-10-21
Published there as: “Structural basis for protocadherin-1 recognition by New World hantaviruses”
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