The Structural Biology of Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus, an Emerging Viral Threat

Abstract

Alphaviruses are arboviruses that cause arthritis and encephalitis in humans. Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus (EEEV) is a mosquito-transmitted alphavirus that is implicated in severe encephalitis in humans with high mortality. However, limited insights are available into the fundamental biology of EEEV and residue-level details of its interactions with host proteins. In recent years, outbreaks of EEEV have been reported mainly in the United States, raising concerns about public safety. This review article summarizes recent advances in the structural biology of EEEV based mainly on single-particle cryogenic electron microscopy (cryoEM) structures. Together with functional analyses of EEEV and related alphaviruses, these structural investigations provide clues to how EEEV interacts with host proteins, which may open avenues for the development of therapeutics.

Designing a Multiepitope Vaccine against Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus: Immunoinformatics and Computational Approaches

“…3,10,24 The structural proteins involve membrane fusion, virus attachment and penetration, host cell recognition, virion assembly, and maturation. 25,26 The nonstructural proteins of EEEV are not packaged in the final virions, which means that the humoral immune response primarily focuses on the prominent structural proteins found on the surface of the virions. 10 These surface proteins are the main targets of various vaccine and antiviral approaches to combating EEEV.…”

“…Its genome is approximately 11.7 kilobases in length and contains two open reading frames (ORFs). , The first ORF encodes the nonstructural proteins, nsP1 to nsP4, responsible for viral replication and processing of polyprotein. In contrast, the second ORF encodes the five structural proteins, including the capsid, envelope glycoprotein 1 (E1), envelope glycoprotein 2 (E2), envelope glycoprotein 3 (E3), and 6K/TF. ,, The structural proteins involve membrane fusion, virus attachment and penetration, host cell recognition, virion assembly, and maturation. , The nonstructural proteins of EEEV are not packaged in the final virions, which means that the humoral immune response primarily focuses on the prominent structural proteins found on the surface of the virions . These surface proteins are the main targets of various vaccine and antiviral approaches to combating EEEV .…”