Respiratory Syncytial Virus Fusion Glycoprotein (RSV F Protein)

The fusion glycoprotein (F protein) of the human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a trimeric, type I transmembrane protein that plays a central role in viral entry by mediating the fusion of the viral envelope with host cell membranes. It is one of two major surface glycoproteins on RSV. The primary function is to mediate membrane fusion between the viral envelope and host cell membrane during infection. Upon activation, the prefusion trimer refolds into its postfusion form. This exposes the hydrophobic N-terminal "fusion peptide" of F1, which inserts into the target cell membrane to drive fusion. RSV-F protein is considered *the* principal target for vaccine design and therapeutic antibody development due to its critical role in infection initiation and strong immunogenicity.

Inhibition of viral fusion