CryoEM structure determination of the complete vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein

The glycoproteins (G) of VSV (vesicular stomatitis virus, the prototype of rhabdoviruses) form spikes on the virus surface and are involved in both receptor recognition and membrane fusion. G is also the main target of neutralizing antibodies. So far, the only structural data available concern the soluble G ectodomain of VSV. Our goal is to resolve the structure of the full length VSV G (i.e. with its transmembrane domain and intraviral part) in several conformations using cryoEM. This will lead to a better insight into the mechanism of membrane fusion. VSV G is the most used viral glycoprotein to deliver a cargo to a cell of interest (especially when using pseudotyped lentiviral vectors); this study will also open perspectives in the field of biotechnologies with interesting applications in oncotherapy.