Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus 1A glycoprotein B (EEHV1A gB)

Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus 1A glycoprotein B (EEHV1A gB) is a key structural component of the Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus 1A, a member of the Proboscivirus genus (Wilkie et al., 2014). It functions as a Class III viral fusion protein, which is indispensable for the virus to enter host endothelial cells by mediating the fusion of the viral envelope with the host cell membrane (Long et al., 2016). EEHV1A is the most common and lethal genotype associated with Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus Hemorrhagic Disease (EEHV-HD), which causes rapid, systemic collapse of the microvasculature in young Asian elephants (Fuery et al., 2020). Due to its essential role in infectivity and its high conservation across the Herpesviridae family, gB is the primary target for vaccine development and therapeutic intervention (UniProtKB - A0A075R6I1). Current experimental strategies include mRNA-based vaccines and recombinant protein subunits designed to elicit neutralizing antibodies. Furthermore, gB serves as a critical antigen in serological assays used to monitor viral exposure and immunity in both captive and wild elephant populations.

Other names

Envelope glycoprotein BgBORF8 proteinProboscivirus glycoprotein B

Neutralization of viral entry by blocking the fusion of the viral envelope with the host cell membrane (Long et al., 2016).