Title X-ray structure of a minor group human rhinovirus bound to a fragment of its cellular receptor protein.
Author Verdaguer, Nuria; Fita, Ignacio; Reithmayer, Manuela; Moser, Rosita; Blaas, Dieter
Journal Nat Struct Mol Biol Publication Year/Month 2004-May
PMID 15064754 PMCID -N/A-
Affiliation 1.Institut de Biologia Molecular de Barcelona, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Jordi Girona 18-26, E-08034 Barcelona, Spain. nvmcri@ibmb.csis.es.

Although many viral receptors have been identified, the ways in which they interact with their cognate viruses are not understood at the molecular level. We have determined the X-ray structure of a complex between calcium-containing modules of the very low-density lipoprotein receptor and the minor group human rhinovirus HRV2. The receptor binds close to the icosahedral five-fold vertex, with only one module per virus protomer. The binding face of this module is defined by acidic calcium-chelating residues and, in particular, by an exposed tryptophan that is highly conserved. The attachment site on the virus involves only residues from VP1, particularly a lysine strictly conserved in all minor group HRVs. The disposition of the attached ligand-binding repeats around the five-fold axis, together with the proximity of the N- and C-terminal ends of adjacent modules, suggests that more than one repeat in a single receptor molecule might attach simultaneously.

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