Coxsackievirus A16 capsid proteins (VP1, VP2, VP3) (CVA16 capsid)

The Coxsackievirus A16 (CVA16) capsid is an icosahedral shell composed of sixty protomers, each containing the structural proteins VP1, VP2, VP3, and VP4 (PubMed: 25131274). The surface-exposed proteins VP1, VP2, and VP3 harbor critical neutralizing epitopes, such as the BC loop of VP1, which are the primary targets for protective antibodies (PubMed: 23658201). These proteins are essential for viral fitness, mediating attachment to host receptors like Scavenger Receptor Class B Member 2 (SCARB2) and facilitating the delivery of the viral RNA genome into the cytoplasm (PubMed: 19575010). CVA16 is a major causative agent of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD), a common childhood illness that can occasionally progress to severe neurological or cardiovascular complications (PubMed: 24501061). Therapeutic and preventive efforts focus on these capsid proteins, with several inactivated and virus-like particle (VLP) vaccines currently in clinical or preclinical development (PubMed: 28254791). Neutralizing monoclonal antibodies targeting specific sites on VP1, VP2, or VP3 are also being explored as potential treatments to block viral entry and spread (PubMed: 26178995).

Other names

CVA16 structural proteinsCoxsackievirus A16 VP1/VP2/VP3CVA16 neutralizing epitopes

Neutralization of viral infectivity by blocking receptor binding or preventing viral uncoating (PubMed: 26178995).