Viral Glycoprotein Structure
A special issue of Viruses (ISSN 1999-4915).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2015) | Viewed by 57316
Special Issue Editor
Interests: viral glycoproteins, viral receptors, HIV-1, influenza, Ebola, electron microscopy, vaccines, antibody therapeutics, structural biology, biophysics, electron microscopy
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Viral glycoproteins reside on the surface of virions and are often the sole component of the virus that interacts with the external environment. As such they must recognize appropriate host cells and initiate infection, either through membrane fusion or endocytosis, all while escaping detection by the immune system of animals. These multi-functional machines represent some of the most exciting but difficult protein complexes to structurally characterize. A number of technological breakthroughs have enabled increasingly detailed studies of these proteins, and with them a greater understanding of the viral fusion machinery and its interplay with antibodies, which have played a critical role in facilitating these studies. The glycans on the surface of viral glycoproteins are host derived and utilized by the virus to mimic the host and evade detection of the immune system. In many cases antibodies can still be generated either by avoiding the glycans (e.g. flu) or by incorporating them into epitopes (e.g. HIV). The rapid mutability of viruses coupled to immune pressure typically results in highly variable surfaces, resulting in a complex co-evolution between virus and host. The challenge then for structural biologists is to hit these moving targets. By combining a wide array of technologies and data types well-determined models of viral glycoprotein structure, function, and dynamics are attainable. The goal of this issue is to highlight the state of the art in viral glycoprotein structure and function that have been enabled by recent technological and methodological advances.
Dr. Andrew Ward
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Viruses is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- virus
- glycoprotein structure
- glycan
- envelope
- capsid
- viral entry
- host recognition
- antibody
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.