Primary Citation of Related Structures:   7N1H, 7N1I
PubMed Abstract: 
LDLRAD3 is a recently defined attachment and entry receptor for Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) 1 , a New World alphavirus that causes severe neurological disease in humans. Here we present near-atomic-resolution cryo-electron microscopy reconstructions of VEEV virus-like particles alone and in a complex with the ectodomains of LDLRAD3 ...
LDLRAD3 is a recently defined attachment and entry receptor for Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) 1 , a New World alphavirus that causes severe neurological disease in humans. Here we present near-atomic-resolution cryo-electron microscopy reconstructions of VEEV virus-like particles alone and in a complex with the ectodomains of LDLRAD3. Domain 1 of LDLRAD3 is a low-density lipoprotein receptor type-A module that binds to VEEV by wedging into a cleft created by two adjacent E2-E1 heterodimers in one trimeric spike, and engages domains A and B of E2 and the fusion loop in E1. Atomic modelling of this interface is supported by mutagenesis and anti-VEEV antibody binding competition assays. Notably, VEEV engages LDLRAD3 in a manner that is similar to the way that arthritogenic alphaviruses bind to the structurally unrelated MXRA8 receptor, but with a much smaller interface. These studies further elucidate the structural basis of alphavirus-receptor interactions, which could inform the development of therapies to mitigate infection and disease against multiple members of this family.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA. fremont@wustl.edu.