Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus 1A glycoprotein L (EEHV1A gL)

Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus 1A (EEHV1A) glycoprotein L (gL) is a critical viral envelope protein that plays an essential role in the infection process of Asian elephants (Wilkie et al., 2013). It functions by forming a stable heterodimeric complex with glycoprotein H (gH), which is a conserved requirement across the Herpesviridae family for mediating the fusion of the viral envelope with the host cell membrane (Long et al., 2016). Within this complex, gL acts as a molecular chaperone, ensuring the correct folding and trafficking of gH to the viral surface. EEHV1A is the primary causative agent of elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus hemorrhagic disease (EEHV-HD), a peracute and often fatal condition in juvenile elephants characterized by extensive endothelial damage (Fuery et al., 2020). Because the gH/gL complex is a major target for the host's neutralizing antibody response, it is currently a primary candidate for the development of recombinant subunit vaccines and therapeutic monoclonal antibodies. While systemic antivirals like famciclovir are used to treat active infections by inhibiting DNA polymerase, there are currently no approved small-molecule drugs that specifically target the gL protein or the entry mechanism it facilitates.

Other names

gLORF U48Envelope glycoprotein LEEHV1A U48

Neutralization of viral entry and membrane fusion