How a paramyxovirus fusion/entry complex adapts to escape a neutralizing antibody

Paramyxoviruses including measles, Nipah, and parainfluenza viruses are public health threats with pandemic potential. Human parainfluenza virus type 3 (HPIV3) is a leading cause of illness in pediatric, elderly, and immunocompromised populations. There are no approved vaccines or therapeutics for HPIV3. Neutralizing antibodies that target viral fusion are a potential strategy for mitigating paramyxovirus infection, however their utility may be curtailed by viral evolution that leads to resistance. Paramyxoviruses enter cells by fusing with the cell membrane in a process mediated by a complex consisting of a receptor binding protein (HN) and a fusion protein (F). Existing atomic resolution structures fail to reveal physiologically relevant interactions during viral entry. We present cryo-ET structures of pre-fusion HN-F complexes in situ on the surfaces of authentic virions that evolved resistance to an anti-HPIV3 F neutralizing mAb. Single mutations in F abolish mAb binding and neutralization. In these complexes, the HN protein that normally restrains F triggering has shifted to uncap the F apex. These complexes are more readily triggered to fuse. These structures shed light on the adaptability of the pre-fusion HN-F complex and mechanisms of paramyxoviral resistance to mAbs, and help define potential barriers to resistance for the design of mAbs.