Potent anti-influenza H7 human monoclonal antibody induces separation of hemagglutinin receptor-binding head domains

摘要

Seasonal influenza virus infections can cause significant morbidity and mortality, but the threat from the emergence of a new pandemic influenza strain might have potentially even more devastating consequences. As such, there is intense interest in isolating and characterizing potent neutralizing antibodies that target the hemagglutinin (HA) viral surface glycoprotein. Here, we use cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM) to decipher the mechanism of action of a potent HA head-directed monoclonal antibody (mAb) bound to an influenza H7 HA. The epitope of the antibody is not solvent accessible in the compact, prefusion conformation that typifies all HA structures to date. Instead, the antibody binds between HA head protomers to an epitope that must be partly or transiently exposed in the prefusion conformation. The “breathing” of the HA protomers is implied by the exposure of this epitope, which is consistent with metastability of class I fusion proteins. This structure likely therefore represents an early structural intermediate in the viral fusion process. Understanding the extent of transient exposure of conserved neutralizing epitopes also may lead to new opportunities to combat influenza that have not been appreciated previously. Cryo-EM reveals a new epitope between influenza virus hemagglutinin head protomers that is only transiently exposed, yet leads to a potent, pan H7 influenza-neutralizing response; this unique mechanism of action represents a potential new opportunity to combat influenza. Author summary Influenza viruses cause severe respiratory infections on a global scale annually. Vaccine efforts are hampered by the virus’s naturally high mutation rate, which results in wide variation between influenza strains of the antigens that are produced and recognized by antibodies, particularly in the surface glycoprotein hemagglutinin (HA). However, broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) are a class of antibodies that develop during natural infections that are capable of inhibiting infection across multiple strains. In this study, we structurally characterized one such bnAb, H7.5, which targets a unique semioccluded yet highly conserved region on the HA head. We showed, using both negative-stain and high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM), that after a short incubation, H7.5 fragment antigen binding (Fab) induces HA to fall apart, effectively preventing infection. We found that H7.5 binds to an epitope only accessible through transient “breathing” of the HA head, and this observation provides insight into the conformational transitions necessary for viral fusion as well as key information about a unique vaccine target.