Nipah virus attachment glycoprotein (G) (NiV-G)

The Nipah virus G glycoprotein (NiV-G) is a type II transmembrane protein that serves as the primary attachment apparatus for the virus, a highly pathogenic zoonotic paramyxovirus (Source: Creative Diagnostics, 2025). The C-terminal globular head domain of NiV-G adopts a unique six-bladed β-propeller configuration that specifically interacts with host cell receptors ephrin-B2 and ephrin-B3, which are widely expressed in the vascular endothelium and central nervous system (Source: NIH, 2025). This binding event is the critical first step of the viral entry process, triggering conformational changes in the associated fusion (F) protein to mediate membrane merger (Source: Frontiers in Microbiology, 2025). As the immunodominant target for neutralizing antibodies, the G protein head domain is the focus of intensive vaccine development and therapeutic research (Source: NIH, 2025). Monoclonal antibodies such as m102.4 target this domain to block receptor binding and prevent infection (Source: PLOS Pathogens, 2021). Given the high mortality rate (40-75%) and the potential for human-to-human transmission, NiV-G is a high-priority target for the development of countermeasures against Nipah virus outbreaks (Source: CAS, 2026).

Other names

Nipah virus G proteinNiV-GAttachment glycoproteinG protein head domainNipah virus G glycoproteinReceptor binding protein (RBP)

Neutralization of viral entry by competitively inhibiting the binding of the G glycoprotein head domain to host ephrin-B2 and ephrin-B3 receptors, thereby preventing the triggering of the fusion (F) protein (Source: NIH, 2025; PLOS Pathogens, 2021).