A novel mechanism of immune evasion mediated by Ebola virus soluble glycoprotein

Abstract

Evaluation of: Mohan GS, Li W, Ye L, Compans RW, Yang C. Antigenic subversion: a novel mechanism of host immune evasion by Ebola virus. PLoS Pathog. 8(12), e1003065 (2012).

Ebola viruses encode two glycoproteins (GPs): a membrane-associated GP that is present in the viral membrane and mediates viral attachment and entry into host cells; and a secreted, nonstructural glycoprotein (sGP) that is identical to GP over approximately 90% of its length. A recent study by Mohan and colleagues attributes a novel immune evasion mechanism dubbed ‘antigenic subversion’ to sGP. Using DNA immunization in mice, the authors demonstrate that sGP elicits antibodies that crossreact with GP, but these antibodies are non-neutralizing. Coimmunization with sGP plus GP or sequential immunizations with GP and sGP direct the host antibody response toward non-neutralizing epitopes. Therefore, the production of sGP may prevent effective neutralization of the virus during Ebola virus infection, and may reduce the effectiveness of vaccines that rely upon neutralizing antibody responses.

Keywords::

• antibody
• Ebola virus
• epitope
• filovirus
• glycoprotein
• immunization
• neutralization
• secreted glycoprotein
• vaccine

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was supported by NIH grant AI059536 and the Department of the Defense, Defense Threat Reduction Agency grant HDTRA1-12-1-0051. The content of this article does not necessarily reflect the position or the policy of the Federal Government, and no official endorsement should be inferred. The author has no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.