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Biomolecules
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New Insight into the Structures and Host Cell Interactions of...
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New Insight into the Structures and Host Cell Interactions of Emerging Viruses

A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biophysics: Structure, Dynamics, and Function".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 3622

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Wei Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Diagnostic and Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
Interests: cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM); cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET); alphaviruses; membrane fusion; retrovirus assembly and maturation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Qibin Geng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Diagnostic and Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
Interests: virus; host; structure; biology; cells; biochemistry; protein; gene; vaccines; immunology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Emerging viruses pose significant threats to public health, global economy, and societal stability. Understanding structural biology and the intricate interplay between these pathogens and their host cells is of paramount importance for developing effective antiviral strategies and preventive measures. This Special Issue seeks to highlight cutting-edge structural biology research that elucidates the architecture of emerging viruses and their dynamic interactions with host cellular factors.

We aim to showcase recent advances in virus structure characterization, focusing on critical molecular determinants of viral proteins responsible for cell attachment, entry, immune evasion, replication, and virion assembly. Structural insights into how viruses exploit host pathways for capsid intracellular trafficking, uncoating, viral replication complex formation, genome integration, particle assembly, maturation, and egress will be particularly emphasized. Moreover, research aimed at identifying valuable therapeutic targets based on the structural transformations viruses undergo during different stages of their lifecycle is also strongly encouraged for submission.

Beyond conventional structural methodologies, we encourage contributions that utilize innovative techniques, including cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET), X-ray crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), advanced fluorescence microscopy, correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM), and cutting-edge molecular dynamics simulations. Multidisciplinary approaches that integrate structural biology, virology, cell biology, immunology, and computational modeling are highly valued to foster comprehensive perspectives on virus–host interactions.

This Special Issue will include original research articles, methodological advancements, and comprehensive reviews that collectively advance the structural biology of emerging viruses. Studies focusing on emerging pathogens with epidemic or pandemic potential—their structural adaptations, novel host entry mechanisms, immune evasion strategies, or innovative antiviral targets—will receive particular attention.

Key themes for submissions include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Structural characterization of virus particles and their subunit assemblies;
  • Molecular mechanisms of viral entry, host receptor engagement, and membrane fusion;
  • Roles of viral structural proteins in immune modulation and evasion;
  • Intracellular dynamics of virus replication, including capsid trafficking and formation of the genome replication complex;
  • Structural basis of viral assembly, maturation, and egress;
  • Innovative imaging methods, 3D reconstruction, and computational modeling techniques;
  • Novel antiviral therapeutic targets informed by structural biology insights.

We look forward to receiving your valuable contributions, which help shape the current and future landscape of virology and antiviral research.

Warm regards,

Dr. Wei Zhang
Dr. Qibin Geng
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomolecules is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • emerging viruses
  • virus structure
  • structural biology
  • Cryo-EM/Cryo-ET/CLEM
  • virus–host interactions
  • viral receptor binding and entry
  • viral assembly, maturation, and egress
  • immune evasion
  • molecular dynamics simulation
  • antiviral targets

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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24 pages, 6007 KB  
Article
First Identification, Recombinant Production, and Structural Characterization of a Putative Structural Protein from the Haseki Tick Virus Polyprotein
by Irina A. Osinkina, Alexey O. Yanshin, Egor O. Ukladov, Yury L. Ryzhykau, Alexander P. Agafonov and Anastasia V. Gladysheva
Biomolecules 2025, 15(12), 1690; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom15121690 - 3 Dec 2025
Viewed by 811
Abstract
Haseki tick virus (HSTV) is a recently discovered virus detected in human serum following tick bites, yet its protein repertoire remains uncharacterized. In this study, we applied an integrative approach based first on membrane topology prediction, followed by AI-based structural prediction and experimental [...] Read more.
Haseki tick virus (HSTV) is a recently discovered virus detected in human serum following tick bites, yet its protein repertoire remains uncharacterized. In this study, we applied an integrative approach based first on membrane topology prediction, followed by AI-based structural prediction and experimental validation to annotate the structural part of the HSTV polyprotein. For the first time, we recombinantly expressed one of the putative HSTV structural protein (SP1) and determined its overall architecture using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Structural comparisons of the AI-predicted HSTV SP1 models revealed only a vague resemblance to the pestiviral Erns and Npro. The strong agreement between experimental SAXS data and the AI-predicted HSTV SP1 model supported the conclusion that HSTV SP1 adopts a distinct spatial architecture in solution, one that is not captured by existing pestiviral structures but is reliably represented by modern AI-based prediction. Our findings indicate that HSTV SP1 adopts a fold not previously observed among characterized members of the Flaviviridae family. This work establishes a methodological pipeline for characterizing highly divergent viral proteins and provides the first insights into HSTV SP1, a virus with emerging zoonotic potential. These results lay the foundation for future functional and structural studies, diagnostic development, and evolutionary analyses of atypical Flaviviridae family members. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insight into the Structures and Host Cell Interactions of Emerging Viruses)
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Review

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35 pages, 2124 KB  
Review
Avian Metapneumovirus: Virology, Epidemiology, and Insights from a Comparative Analysis with Human Metapneumovirus—A Review
by Jason S. Hatfield, Beth K. Thielen and Sagar M. Goyal
Biomolecules 2026, 16(3), 351; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom16030351 - 26 Feb 2026
Viewed by 1266
Abstract
Metapneumoviruses comprise a genus of negative-sense RNA viruses that cause significant respiratory disease across human and avian hosts. Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is a globally prevalent pathogen associated with acute lower respiratory tract infections in infants, older adults, and immunocompromised individuals. Avian metapneumovirus (aMPV) [...] Read more.
Metapneumoviruses comprise a genus of negative-sense RNA viruses that cause significant respiratory disease across human and avian hosts. Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is a globally prevalent pathogen associated with acute lower respiratory tract infections in infants, older adults, and immunocompromised individuals. Avian metapneumovirus (aMPV) imposes substantial economic losses on the poultry industry through respiratory disease, reproductive impairment, and high mortality in the presence of secondary infections. Despite their distinctive host ranges, hMPV and aMPV share a conserved genomic architecture and encode homologous structural and non-structural proteins that mediate viral entry, replication, assembly, and evasion of host innate immunity. Comparative analysis highlights that both have deeply conserved polymerase and nucleocapsid functions, and yet have a wide range of diversity in the attachment glycoprotein (G) and small hydrophobic protein (SH), reflecting divergent evolutionary pressures in human versus avian hosts that have led to such distinctive differences. The recent emergence and detection of aMPV/A and aMPV/B across the previously aMPV-free United States beginning in late 2023, combined with rising cases globally of hMPV post-SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, underscore the continued challenges of metapneumovirus surveillance and control in humans and animals. This review aims to highlight the current knowledge on the history, molecular virology, pathogenesis, epidemiology, diagnostics, and control strategies for aMPV while drawing mechanistic parallels to hMPV. By contextualizing shared biology and structure alongside host-specific adaptations, we aim to identify key gaps that shape vaccine design, antiviral development, and future research priorities aimed at mitigating the health and economic burden posed by metapneumoviruses found in both birds and humans. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insight into the Structures and Host Cell Interactions of Emerging Viruses)
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23 pages, 3691 KB  
Review
Structure, Function and Inhibition of Helicases Involved in Virus Infection
by Gisoo Sarvari and David D. Boehr
Biomolecules 2026, 16(2), 273; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom16020273 - 9 Feb 2026
Viewed by 922
Abstract
Viral helicases are conserved nucleic acid-dependent ATPases that drive genome replication, gene expression, and virion assembly, thereby playing a central role in viral replication and pathogenicity. Here, we discuss structural, biochemical, and virological data to compare helicase superfamilies, their conserved motifs, and translocation [...] Read more.
Viral helicases are conserved nucleic acid-dependent ATPases that drive genome replication, gene expression, and virion assembly, thereby playing a central role in viral replication and pathogenicity. Here, we discuss structural, biochemical, and virological data to compare helicase superfamilies, their conserved motifs, and translocation models that couple ATP hydrolysis to strand separation. We then analyze how viral helicases regulate replication fork progression, transcription and translation of viral RNAs, viral genome remodeling during replication, genome-packaging strategies, and evasion of innate immune signaling. Mechanistic examples from picornaviruses, flaviviruses, herpesviruses, and coronaviruses demonstrate how helicase architecture, substrate specificity, and cofactors control these activities. Finally, we discuss the opportunities and drawbacks of targeting viral helicases with antiviral drugs, recent screening and structure-guided discovery efforts, and emerging resistance mechanisms. Overall, this review provides a virus-centered synthesis of helicase structure, function, and inhibition that links conserved enzymatic activities to diverse infection outcomes and antiviral strategies across viral families. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insight into the Structures and Host Cell Interactions of Emerging Viruses)
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