Mechanisms of Viral Fusion and Applications in Antivirals

Dear colleague,

Virus-cell fusion is essential for enveloped viruses to enter host cells. Enveloped viruses acquire their membrane from infected host cells during the budding process. Many important human pathogens are enveloped viruses, such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Hepatitis C (HCV), and Ebola virus (EBOV). The virus–cell fusion process is carried out by one or more viral envelope glycoprotein or fusion proteins. Viral fusion proteins contain a typical fusion peptide or a fusion loop that is responsible for initial insertion into host membrane, and they are normally present in virions as a prefusion state, which must be triggered to mediate fusion and viral entry. The current known triggers include receptor binding, low pH, receptor-binding plus low pH, and cellular cathepsins, but may also include calcium and certain lipids. However, regardless of distinct prefusion structures and triggers, the post-fusion state of all viral fusion proteins is a trimer of hairpin.

In this Special Issue, we will focus on the most recent advances in understanding the mechanism of virus–cell fusion, with a special emphasis on advanced imaging approaches (single molecule techniques and super-resolution) and viral fusion triggers. We will also focus on new developments on neutralizing antibodies, antivirals, and vaccine development.

Dr. Sergi Padilla-Parra
Prof. Shan-Lu Liu
Guest Editors

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