Norwalk-like Viruses and Their Receptors

描述（由申请方提供）：诺瓦克样病毒（NLV）是一种单链、正义RNA病毒，可引起人类急性胃肠炎。 这些病毒具有高度传染性，对环境条件具有抵抗力，并通过表面接触或人与人之间的传播迅速传播。 NLV通常在各种环境中（包括民用和军事）引起大规模的食物和水传播疫情。 由于缺乏细胞培养和动物模型，NLV一直难以研究。 NLV感染没有可用的治疗方法，并且NLV的高遗传和抗原多样性使得难以通过疫苗接种来预防该疾病。 我们最近观察到诺沃克病毒（NV）的原型使用人类组织血型抗原作为感染受体。这一发现为制定控制NLV疾病的策略开辟了道路。 扩展研究表明，不同的NLV识别分泌型、刘易斯型和ABO型定义的不同受体。发现含有这些主要组织-血液表位的糖缀合物负责NLV结合，并且在母乳中发现的类似糖缀合物保护母乳喂养的婴儿免受NLV感染。 因此，人类组织血型抗原在NLV感染的宿主特异性中起关键作用。 阻断NLV附着/进入肠上皮细胞的抑制剂可能被开发为针对NLV的有效抗病毒药物。 为实现这一未来目标，提出了以下三个具体目标。 具体目标1.描述诺瓦克样病毒（NLV）的遗传变异及其与人类组织血型抗原的结合，以扩大毒株多样性。 具体目标2。通过计算机模拟和生物化学方法定位NLV衣壳与人组织血型抗原结合的结构域。 具体目标3。确定存在和不存在人组织血型抗原时NLV衣壳和亚衣壳单位的晶体结构。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Norwalk-like viruses (NLVs) are single-stranded, positive-sense RNA viruses that cause acute gastroenteritis in humans. The viruses are highly contagious, resistant to environmental conditions, and spread quickly by surface contact or person-to-person transmission. NLVs commonly cause large food- and water-borne outbreaks in a variety of settings, both civilian and military. NLVs have been difficult to study due to the lack of cell culture and animal models. There is no treatment available for NLV infection and the high genetic and antigenic diversity of NLVs makes it difficult to prevent the disease by a vaccination. We have recently observed that the prototype Norwalk virus (NV) uses the human histo-blood group antigens as receptors for infection. This discovery opens a way to develop strategies to control NLV disease. Extended studies showed that different NLVs recognize different receptors defined by secretor, Lewis, and ABO types. Glycoconjugates containing these major histo-blood epitopes were found to be responsible for NLV binding and similar glycoconjugates found in human milk protected breast-fed infants from NLV infection. Thus, human histo-blood group antigens play a critical role in the host specificity to NLV infection. Inhibitors that block NLV attachment/entry to intestinal epithelial cells may be developed as an effective antiviral drug against NLVs. Towards this future goal, the following three specific aims are proposed. Specific aim 1. To characterize the genetic variability of Norwalk-like viruses (NLVs) and their binding to human histo-blood group antigens for extended strain diversity. Specific aim 2. To map the domain(s) of NLV capsids that bind to human histo-blood group antigens by computer modeling and biochemistry approaches. Specific aim 3. To determine the crystal structure of NLV capsid and sub-capsid units in the presence and absence of human histo-blood group antigens.