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Lujo virus (LUJV) is a human pathogen that was the cause of a deadly hemorrhagic fever outbreak in Africa. LUJV is a divergent member of the Arenaviridae with some similarities to both the "Old World" and "New World" serogroups, but it uses a cell-entry receptor, neuropilin-2 (NRP2), that is distinct from the receptors of OW and NW viruses. Though the receptor binding domain of LUJV has been characterized structurally, the overall organization of the trimeric spike complex and how NRP2 is recognized in this context were unknown. Here, we present the structure of the membrane-embedded LUJV spike complex determined by cryo-electron microscopy. Analysis of the structure suggested that a single NRP2 molecule is bound at the apex of the trimeric spike and that multiple subunits of the trimer contact the receptor. The binding of NRP2 involves an intriguing arginine-methionine interaction, which we analyzed using quantum mechanical modeling methods. We compare the LUJV spike structure with the only other available structure of a complete arenaviral spike, which is the Lassa virus. The similarities and differences between them shed light on Arenavirus evolution, inform vaccine design, and provide information that will be useful in combating future Arenavirus outbreaks.
Assuntos
Microscopia Crioeletrônica , Neuropilina-2 , Humanos , Neuropilina-2/metabolismo , Neuropilina-2/química , Modelos Moleculares , Ligação ProteicaRESUMO
Matriglycan, a recently characterized linear polysaccharide, is composed of alternating xylose and glucuronic acid subunits bound to the ubiquitously expressed protein α-dystroglycan (α-DG). Pathogenic arenaviruses, like the Lassa virus (LASV), hijack this long linear polysaccharide to gain cellular entry. Until recently, it was unclear through what mechanisms LASV engages its matriglycan receptor to initiate infection. Additionally, how matriglycan is synthesized onto α-DG by the Golgi-resident glycosyltransferase LARGE1 remained enigmatic. Recent structural data for LARGE1 and for the LASV spike complex informs us about the synthesis of matriglycan as well as its usage as an entry receptor by arenaviruses. In this review, we discuss structural insights into the system of matriglycan generation and eventual recognition by pathogenic viruses. We also highlight the unique usage of matriglycan as a high-affinity host receptor compared with other polysaccharides that decorate cells.
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Somatic hypermutation (SHM) drives affinity maturation and continues over months in SARS-CoV-2-neutralizing antibodies (nAbs). However, several potent SARS-CoV-2 antibodies carry no or only a few mutations, leaving the question of how ongoing SHM affects neutralization unclear. Here, we reverted variable region mutations of 92 antibodies and tested their impact on SARS-CoV-2 binding and neutralization. Reverting higher numbers of mutations correlated with decreasing antibody functionality. However, for some antibodies, including antibodies of the public clonotype VH1-58, neutralization of Wu01 remained unaffected. Although mutations were dispensable for Wu01-induced VH1-58 antibodies to neutralize Alpha, Beta, and Delta variants, they were critical for Omicron BA.1/BA.2 neutralization. We exploited this knowledge to convert the clinical antibody tixagevimab into a BA.1/BA.2 neutralizer. These findings broaden our understanding of SHM as a mechanism that not only improves antibody responses during affinity maturation but also contributes to antibody diversification, thus increasing the chances of neutralizing viral escape variants.
Assuntos
COVID-19 , SARS-CoV-2 , Humanos , COVID-19/genética , Anticorpos Antivirais , Mutação/genética , Anticorpos NeutralizantesRESUMO
Viruses are obligatory parasites that can replicate only inside host cells. Therefore, the evolutionary drive to enter cells is immense, leading to diversification in the cell-entry strategies of viruses. One of the most critical steps for cell entry is the recognition of the target cell, a process driven by the formation of viral/host macromolecular complexes. The accumulation of recent structural data for viruses within the arenaviridae family allows us to examine how different viral species from the same viral family utilize evolutionarily-related viral glycoproteins to engage with a variety of different cellular receptors. These structural data, compared to other viruses from the coronaviridae family, hint about possible routes that such viruses use for evolving new receptor-binding capabilities, allowing them to switch from one receptor to another.
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Arenaviridae , Vírus , Arenaviridae/metabolismo , Vírus/metabolismo , Receptores de Superfície Celular/metabolismo , Ligação Proteica , Substâncias MacromolecularesRESUMO
LARGE1 is a bifunctional glycosyltransferase responsible for generating a long linear polysaccharide termed matriglycan that links the cytoskeleton and the extracellular matrix and is required for proper muscle function. This matriglycan polymer is made with an alternating pattern of xylose and glucuronic acid monomers. Mutations in the LARGE1 gene have been shown to cause life-threatening dystroglycanopathies through the inhibition of matriglycan synthesis. Despite its major role in muscle maintenance, the structure of the LARGE1 enzyme and how it assembles in the Golgi are unknown. Here we present the structure of LARGE1, obtained by a combination of X-ray crystallography and single-particle cryo-EM. We found that LARGE1 homo-dimerizes in a configuration that is dictated by its coiled-coil stem domain. The structure shows that this enzyme has two canonical GT-A folds within each of its catalytic domains. In the context of its dimeric structure, the two types of catalytic domains are brought into close proximity from opposing monomers to allow efficient shuttling of the substrates between the two domains. Together, with putative retention of matriglycan by electrostatic interactions, this dimeric organization offers a possible mechanism for the ability of LARGE1 to synthesize long matriglycan chains. The structural information further reveals the mechanisms in which disease-causing mutations disrupt the activity of LARGE1. Collectively, these data shed light on how matriglycan is synthesized alongside the functional significance of glycosyltransferase oligomerization.
Assuntos
Matriz Extracelular , Glicosiltransferases , Glicosiltransferases/metabolismo , Glicosilação , Domínios Proteicos , Matriz Extracelular/metabolismo , Polissacarídeos , Cristalografia por Raios XRESUMO
Blocking the interaction of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) with its angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor was proved to be an effective therapeutic option. Various protein binders as well as monoclonal antibodies that effectively target the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 to prevent interaction with ACE2 were developed. The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants that accumulate alterations in the RBD can severely affect the efficacy of such immunotherapeutic agents, as is indeed the case with Omicron that resists many of the previously isolated monoclonal antibodies. Here, we evaluate an ACE2-based immunoadhesin that we have developed early in the pandemic against some of the recent variants of concern (VoCs), including the Delta and the Omicron variants. We show that our ACE2-immunoadhesin remains effective in neutralizing these variants, suggesting that immunoadhesin-based immunotherapy is less prone to escape by the virus and has a potential to remain effective against future VoCs.
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Lassa virus (LASV) is a human pathogen, causing substantial morbidity and mortality1,2. Similar to other Arenaviridae, it presents a class-I spike complex on its surface that facilitates cell entry. The virus's cellular receptor is matriglycan, a linear carbohydrate that is present on α-dystroglycan3,4, but the molecular mechanism that LASV uses to recognize this glycan is unknown. In addition, LASV and other arenaviruses have a unique signal peptide that forms an integral and functionally important part of the mature spike5-8; yet the structure, function and topology of the signal peptide in the membrane remain uncertain9-11. Here we solve the structure of a complete native LASV spike complex, finding that the signal peptide crosses the membrane once and that its amino terminus is located in the extracellular region. Together with a double-sided domain-switching mechanism, the signal peptide helps to stabilize the spike complex in its native conformation. This structure reveals that the LASV spike complex is preloaded with matriglycan, suggesting the mechanism of binding and rationalizing receptor recognition by α-dystroglycan-tropic arenaviruses. This discovery further informs us about the mechanism of viral egress and may facilitate the rational design of novel therapeutics that exploit this binding site.
Assuntos
Distroglicanas , Vírus Lassa , Receptores Virais , Proteínas do Envelope Viral , Distroglicanas/química , Distroglicanas/metabolismo , Humanos , Febre Lassa/virologia , Vírus Lassa/química , Vírus Lassa/metabolismo , Conformação Proteica , Sinais Direcionadores de Proteínas , Receptores Virais/química , Receptores Virais/metabolismo , Proteínas do Envelope Viral/química , Proteínas do Envelope Viral/metabolismo , Internalização do VírusRESUMO
The spillover of animal coronaviruses (aCoVs) to humans has caused SARS, MERS, and COVID-19. While antibody responses displaying cross-reactivity between SARS-CoV-2 and seasonal/common cold human coronaviruses (hCoVs) have been reported, potential cross-reactivity with aCoVs and the diagnostic implications are incompletely understood. Here, we probed for antibody binding against all seven hCoVs and 49 aCoVs represented as 12,924 peptides within a phage-displayed antigen library. Antibody repertoires of 269 recovered COVID-19 patients showed distinct changes compared to 260 unexposed pre-pandemic controls, not limited to binding of SARS-CoV-2 antigens but including binding to antigens from hCoVs and aCoVs with shared motifs to SARS-CoV-2. We isolated broadly reactive monoclonal antibodies from recovered COVID-19 patients that bind a shared motif of SARS-CoV-2, hCoV-OC43, hCoV-HKU1, and several aCoVs, demonstrating that interspecies cross-reactivity can be mediated by a single immunoglobulin. Employing antibody binding data against the entire CoV antigen library allowed accurate discrimination of recovered COVID-19 patients from unexposed individuals by machine learning. Leaving out SARS-CoV-2 antigens and relying solely on antibody binding to other hCoVs and aCoVs achieved equally accurate detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The ability to detect SARS-CoV-2 infection without knowledge of its unique antigens solely from cross-reactive antibody responses against other hCoVs and aCoVs suggests a potential diagnostic strategy for the early stage of future pandemics. Creating regularly updated antigen libraries representing the animal coronavirome can provide the basis for a serological assay already poised to identify infected individuals following a future zoonotic transmission event.
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Anticorpos Antivirais/imunologia , Antígenos Virais/imunologia , Infecções por Coronavirus/imunologia , Coronavirus/imunologia , Biblioteca de Peptídeos , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , Animais , Infecções por Coronavirus/diagnóstico , Reações Cruzadas , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Adulto Jovem , ZoonosesRESUMO
Glycans decorate the cell surface, secreted glycoproteins and glycolipids, and altered glycans are often found in cancers. Despite their high diagnostic and therapeutic potential, however, glycans are polar and flexible molecules that are quite challenging for the development and design of high-affinity binding antibodies. To understand the mechanisms by which glycan neoantigens are specifically recognized by antibodies, we analyze the biomolecular recognition of the tumor-associated carbohydrate antigen CA19-9 by two distinct antibodies using X-ray crystallography. Despite the potential plasticity of glycans and the very different antigen-binding surfaces presented by the antibodies, both structures reveal an essentially identical extended CA19-9 conformer, suggesting that this conformer's stability selects the antibodies. Starting from the bound structure of one of the antibodies, we use the AbLIFT computational algorithm to design a variant with seven core mutations in the variable domain's light-heavy chain interface that exhibits tenfold improved affinity for CA19-9. The results reveal strategies used by antibodies to specifically recognize glycan antigens and show how automated antibody-optimization methods may be used to enhance the clinical potential of existing antibodies.
Assuntos
Anticorpos Monoclonais/química , Anticorpos Monoclonais/metabolismo , Antígeno CA-19-9/imunologia , Biologia Computacional/métodos , Algoritmos , Animais , Anticorpos Monoclonais/genética , Afinidade de Anticorpos , Cristalografia por Raios X , Humanos , Camundongos , Modelos Moleculares , Mutação , Conformação ProteicaRESUMO
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007207.].
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Glycosylation patterns commonly change in cancer, resulting in expression of tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens (TACA). While promising, currently available anti-glycan antibodies are not useful for clinical cancer therapy. Here, we show that potent anti-glycan antibodies can be engineered to acquire cancer therapeutic efficacy. We designed yeast surface display to generate and select for therapeutic antibodies against the TACA SLea (CA19-9) in colon and pancreatic cancers. Elite clones showed increased affinity, better specificity, improved binding of human pancreatic and colon cancer cell lines, and increased complement-dependent therapeutic efficacy. Molecular modeling explained the structural basis for improved antibody functionality at the molecular level. These new tools of directed molecular evolution and selection for effective anti-glycan antibodies, provide insights into the mechanisms of cancer therapy targeting glycosylation, and provide major methodological advances that are likely to open up innovative avenues of research in the field of cancer theranostics.
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The respiratory and intestinal tracts are exposed to physical and biological hazards accompanying the intake of air and food. Likewise, the vasculature is threatened by inflammation and trauma. Mucin glycoproteins and the related von Willebrand factor guard the vulnerable cell layers in these diverse systems. Colon mucins additionally house and feed the gut microbiome. Here, we present an integrated structural analysis of the intestinal mucin MUC2. Our findings reveal the shared mechanism by which complex macromolecules responsible for blood clotting, mucociliary clearance, and the intestinal mucosal barrier form protective polymers and hydrogels. Specifically, cryo-electron microscopy and crystal structures show how disulfide-rich bridges and pH-tunable interfaces control successive assembly steps in the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus. Remarkably, a densely O-glycosylated mucin domain performs an organizational role in MUC2. The mucin assembly mechanism and its adaptation for hemostasis provide the foundation for rational manipulation of barrier function and coagulation.
Assuntos
Biopolímeros/metabolismo , Mucinas/metabolismo , Fator de von Willebrand/metabolismo , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Animais , Microscopia Crioeletrônica , Dissulfetos/metabolismo , Feminino , Glicosilação , Células HEK293 , Humanos , Concentração de Íons de Hidrogênio , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Modelos Moleculares , Mucinas/química , Mucinas/ultraestrutura , Peptídeos/química , Domínios Proteicos , Multimerização Proteica , Fator de von Willebrand/química , Fator de von Willebrand/ultraestruturaRESUMO
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has unprecedented implications for public health, social life, and the world economy. Because approved drugs and vaccines are limited or not available, new options for COVID-19 treatment and prevention are in high demand. To identify SARS-CoV-2-neutralizing antibodies, we analyzed the antibody response of 12 COVID-19 patients from 8 to 69 days after diagnosis. By screening 4,313 SARS-CoV-2-reactive B cells, we isolated 255 antibodies from different time points as early as 8 days after diagnosis. Of these, 28 potently neutralized authentic SARS-CoV-2 with IC100 as low as 0.04 µg/mL, showing a broad spectrum of variable (V) genes and low levels of somatic mutations. Interestingly, potential precursor sequences were identified in naive B cell repertoires from 48 healthy individuals who were sampled before the COVID-19 pandemic. Our results demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2-neutralizing antibodies are readily generated from a diverse pool of precursors, fostering hope for rapid induction of a protective immune response upon vaccination.
Assuntos
Anticorpos Neutralizantes/isolamento & purificação , Anticorpos Antivirais/isolamento & purificação , Infecções por Coronavirus/imunologia , Pneumonia Viral/imunologia , Anticorpos Neutralizantes/genética , Anticorpos Neutralizantes/imunologia , Anticorpos Antivirais/genética , Anticorpos Antivirais/imunologia , Linfócitos B/imunologia , Betacoronavirus/imunologia , COVID-19 , Humanos , Região Variável de Imunoglobulina/genética , Região Variável de Imunoglobulina/imunologia , Memória Imunológica , Estudos Longitudinais , Pandemias , SARS-CoV-2 , Hipermutação Somática de ImunoglobulinaRESUMO
Ebola virus disease is a severe health problem in Africa. Vaccines that display the Zaire ebolavirus glycoprotein spike complex are a prime component for the effort to combat it. The VH3-15/Vλ1-40-based class of antibodies was recently discovered to be a common response in individuals who received the Ebola virus vaccines. These antibodies display attractive properties, and thus likely contribute to the efficacy of the vaccines. Here, we use cryo-EM to elucidate how three VH3-15/Vλ1-40 antibodies from different individuals target the virus and found a convergent mechanism against a partially conserved site on the spike complex. Our study rationalizes the selection of the VH3-15/Vλ1-40 germline genes for specifically targeting this site and highlights Ebolavirus species-specific sequence divergences that may restrict breadth of VH3-15/Vλ1-40-based humoral response. The results from this study could help develop improved immunization schemes and further enable the design of immunogens that would be efficacious against a broader set of Ebolavirus species.
Assuntos
Anticorpos Neutralizantes/imunologia , Anticorpos Antivirais/imunologia , Proteínas do Envelope Viral/imunologia , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Anticorpos Monoclonais/imunologia , Especificidade de Anticorpos , Microscopia Crioeletrônica , Vacinas contra Ebola , Ebolavirus , Epitopos/imunologia , Células HEK293 , Humanos , Ligação Proteica , Estrutura Terciária de ProteínaRESUMO
Certain arenaviruses that circulate in rodent populations can cause life-threatening hemorrhagic fevers when they infect humans. Due to their efficient transmission, arenaviruses pose a severe risk for outbreaks and might be exploited as biological weapons. Effective countermeasures against these viruses are highly desired. Ideally, a single remedy would be effective against many or even all the pathogenic viruses in this family. However, despite the fact that all pathogenic arenaviruses from South America utilize transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1) as a cellular receptor, their viral glycoproteins are highly diversified, impeding efforts to isolate cross-neutralizing antibodies. Here we address this problem using a rational design approach to target TfR1-tropic arenaviruses with high potency and breadth. The pan-reactive molecule is highly effective against all arenaviruses that were tested, offering a universal therapeutic approach. Our design scheme avoids the shortcomings of previous immunoadhesins and can be used to combat other zoonotic pathogens.
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Infecções por Arenaviridae/terapia , Arenavirus/imunologia , Imunoterapia , Receptores da Transferrina/química , Receptores da Transferrina/imunologia , Receptores Virais/imunologia , Anticorpos Neutralizantes/química , Anticorpos Neutralizantes/genética , Anticorpos Neutralizantes/imunologia , Anticorpos Antivirais/química , Anticorpos Antivirais/genética , Anticorpos Antivirais/imunologia , Infecções por Arenaviridae/imunologia , Infecções por Arenaviridae/virologia , Arenavirus/química , Arenavirus/genética , Desenho de Fármacos , Humanos , Receptores da Transferrina/genética , Receptores Virais/genética , Proteínas Virais/química , Proteínas Virais/genética , Proteínas Virais/imunologiaRESUMO
Recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus-Zaire Ebola virus (rVSV-ZEBOV) is the most advanced Ebola virus vaccine candidate and is currently being used to combat the outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Here we examine the humoral immune response in a subset of human volunteers enrolled in a phase 1 rVSV-ZEBOV vaccination trial by performing comprehensive single B cell and electron microscopy structure analyses. Four studied vaccinees show polyclonal, yet reproducible and convergent B cell responses with shared sequence characteristics. EBOV-targeting antibodies cross-react with other Ebolavirus species, and detailed epitope mapping revealed overlapping target epitopes with antibodies isolated from EVD survivors. Moreover, in all vaccinees, we detected highly potent EBOV-neutralizing antibodies with activities comparable or superior to the monoclonal antibodies currently used in clinical trials. These include antibodies combining the IGHV3-15/IGLV1-40 immunoglobulin gene segments that were identified in all investigated individuals. Our findings will help to evaluate and direct current and future vaccination strategies and offer opportunities for novel EVD therapies.
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Vacinas contra Ebola/administração & dosagem , Ebolavirus/imunologia , Doença pelo Vírus Ebola/prevenção & controle , Imunidade Humoral/imunologia , Adulto , Anticorpos Neutralizantes/imunologia , Anticorpos Antivirais/imunologia , Formação de Anticorpos/imunologia , Linfócitos B/imunologia , Linfócitos B/virologia , Vacinas contra Ebola/efeitos adversos , Vacinas contra Ebola/imunologia , Ebolavirus/patogenicidade , Feminino , Doença pelo Vírus Ebola/imunologia , Doença pelo Vírus Ebola/virologia , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Vacinação/efeitos adversos , Vesiculovirus/genética , VoluntáriosRESUMO
Antibodies developed for research and clinical applications may exhibit suboptimal stability, expressibility, or affinity. Existing optimization strategies focus on surface mutations, whereas natural affinity maturation also introduces mutations in the antibody core, simultaneously improving stability and affinity. To systematically map the mutational tolerance of an antibody variable fragment (Fv), we performed yeast display and applied deep mutational scanning to an anti-lysozyme antibody and found that many of the affinity-enhancing mutations clustered at the variable light-heavy chain interface, within the antibody core. Rosetta design combined enhancing mutations, yielding a variant with tenfold higher affinity and substantially improved stability. To make this approach broadly accessible, we developed AbLIFT, an automated web server that designs multipoint core mutations to improve contacts between specific Fv light and heavy chains (http://AbLIFT.weizmann.ac.il). We applied AbLIFT to two unrelated antibodies targeting the human antigens VEGF and QSOX1. Strikingly, the designs improved stability, affinity, and expression yields. The results provide proof-of-principle for bypassing laborious cycles of antibody engineering through automated computational affinity and stability design.
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Afinidade de Anticorpos , Desenho de Fármacos , Região Variável de Imunoglobulina/genética , Engenharia de Proteínas/métodos , Animais , Afinidade de Anticorpos/genética , Biologia Computacional , Células HEK293 , Humanos , Fragmentos de Imunoglobulinas/química , Fragmentos de Imunoglobulinas/genética , Cadeias Pesadas de Imunoglobulinas/química , Cadeias Pesadas de Imunoglobulinas/genética , Cadeias Leves de Imunoglobulina/química , Cadeias Leves de Imunoglobulina/genética , Região Variável de Imunoglobulina/química , Modelos Moleculares , Mutagênese Sítio-Dirigida , Mutação , Oxirredutases atuantes sobre Doadores de Grupo Enxofre/antagonistas & inibidores , Oxirredutases atuantes sobre Doadores de Grupo Enxofre/imunologia , Biblioteca de Peptídeos , Engenharia de Proteínas/estatística & dados numéricos , Estabilidade Proteica , Software , Fator A de Crescimento do Endotélio Vascular/antagonistas & inibidores , Fator A de Crescimento do Endotélio Vascular/imunologiaRESUMO
The mucin 2 glycoprotein assembles into a complex hydrogel that protects intestinal epithelia and houses the gut microbiome. A major step in mucin 2 assembly is further multimerization of preformed mucin dimers, thought to produce a honeycomb-like arrangement upon hydrogel expansion. Important open questions are how multiple mucin 2 dimers become covalently linked to one another and how mucin 2 multimerization compares with analogous processes in related polymers such as respiratory tract mucins and the hemostasis protein von Willebrand factor. Here we report the x-ray crystal structure of the mucin 2 multimerization module, found to form a dimer linked by two intersubunit disulfide bonds. The dimer structure calls into question the current model for intestinal mucin assembly, which proposes disulfide-mediated trimerization of the same module. Key residues making interactions across the dimer interface are highly conserved in intestinal mucin orthologs, supporting the physiological relevance of the observed quaternary structure. With knowledge of the interface residues, it can be demonstrated that many of these amino acids are also present in other mucins and in von Willebrand factor, further indicating that the stable dimer arrangement reported herein is likely to be shared across this functionally broad protein family. The mucin 2 module structure thus reveals the manner by which both mucins and von Willebrand factor polymerize, drawing deep structural parallels between macromolecular assemblies critical to mucosal epithelia and the vasculature.
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Dimerização , Dissulfetos/metabolismo , Géis/química , Intestinos/química , Mucinas/metabolismo , Polimerização , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Sequência Conservada , Cristalização , Humanos , Modelos Biológicos , Modelos Moleculares , Mucinas/química , Domínios Proteicos , Multimerização Proteica , Fator de von Willebrand/metabolismoRESUMO
Lassa virus (LASV) is a notorious human pathogen in West Africa. Its class I trimeric spike complex displays a distinct architecture, and its cell entry mechanism involves unique attributes not shared by other related viruses. We determined the crystal structure of the GP2 fusion glycoprotein from the spike complex of LASV (GP2LASV) in its post-fusion conformation. GP2LASV adopts a canonical helical bundle configuration similarly to other viruses in its family. The core packing of GP2LASV, however, is more organized compared to GP2 from other viruses reducing the formation of internal hydrophobic cavities. We demonstrate a link between the formation of such unfavorable hydrophobic cavities and the efficiencies of membrane fusion and cell entry. Our study suggests that LASV has evolved a more efficient membrane fusogen compared to other viruses from its family by optimizing the post-fusion configuration of its GP2 module.