Structural Basis for a Convergent Immune Response against Ebola Virus

Hadas Cohen-Dvashi, Matthias Zehner, Stefanie Ehrhardt, Nadav Elad, Florian Klein, Ron Diskin

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Ebola virus disease is a severe health problem in Africa. Vaccines that display the Zaire ebolavirus glycoprotein spike complex are a prime component for the effort to combat it. The V(H)3-15/V(lambda)1-40-based class of antibodies was recently discovered to be a common response in individuals who received the Ebola virus vaccines. These antibodies display attractive properties, and thus likely contribute to the efficacy of the vaccines. Here, we use cryo-EM to elucidate how three V(H)3-15/V(lambda)1-40 antibodies from different individuals target the virus and found a convergent mechanism against a partially conserved site on the spike complex. Our study rationalizes the selection of the V(H)3-15/V(lambda)1-40 germline genes for specifically targeting this site and highlights Ebolavirus species-specific sequence divergences that may restrict breadth of V(H)3-15/V(lambda)1-40-based humoral response. The results from this study could help develop improved immunization schemes and further enable the design of immunogens that would be efficacious against a broader set of Ebolavirus species.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)418-427.e4
Number of pages10
JournalCell Host & Microbe
Volume27
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 11 Mar 2020

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Virology
  • Parasitology
  • Microbiology

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