Identification of broadly neutralizing antibodies against influenza A viruses has raised hopes for the development of monoclonal antibody-based immunotherapy and ‘universal’ vaccines for influenza. However, a significant part of the annual flu burden is caused by two cocirculating, antigenically distinct lineages of influenza B viruses. Here we report human monoclonal antibodies, CR8033, CR8071 and CR9114, which protect mice against lethal challenge from both lineages. Antibodies CR8033 and CR8071 recognize distinct conserved epitopes in the head region of the influenza B hemagglutinin (HA), whereas CR9114 binds a conserved epitope in the HA stem and protects against lethal challenge with influenza A and B viruses. These antibodies may inform on development of monoclonal antibody-based treatments and a universal flu vaccine for all influenza A and B viruses.

The envelope glycoprotein trimer (Env) on the surface of HIV-1 recognizes CD4+ T cells and mediates viral entry. During this process, Env undergoes large conformational rearrangements making it difficult to study in its native state. Soluble, stabilized trimers have provided valuable insights into Env structure, but they lack the hydrophobic membrane proximal external region (MPER), which is an important target of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs), the transmembrane domain and the cytoplasmic tail (CT). Here we present a 4.2 Å resolution cryoEM structure of a clade B virus Env lacking only the cytoplasmic tail (EnvΔCT) and stabilized by the bnAb PGT151, and an 8.8 Å resolution reconstruction of EnvΔCT in complex with PGT151 and MPER-targeting antibody 10E8. These structures provide new insights into the wild-type Env structure.

Summary Immune recognition of protein antigens relies upon the combined interaction of multiple antibody loops, which provides a fairly large footprint and constrains the size and shape of protein surfaces that can be targeted. Single protein loops can mediate extremely high affinity binding, but it is unclear whether such a mechanism is available to antibodies. Here we report the isolation and characterization of antibody C05 that neutralizes strains from multiple subtypes of influenza A viruses, including H1, H2, and H3. Crystal and EM structures show that C5 recognizes conserved elements of the receptor binding site on the hemagglutinin (HA) surface glycoprotein. Recognition of the HA receptor binding site is dominated by a single HCDR3 loop, with minor contacts from HCDR1, and is sufficient to achieve nanomolar binding with a minimal footprint. Thus, binding predominantly with a single loop can allow antibodies to target small, conserved, functional sites on otherwise hypervariable antigens.

SummaryThe HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein trimer is covered by an array of N-linked glycans that shield it from immune surveillance. The high density of glycans on the trimer surface imposes steric constraints limiting the actions of glycan-processing enzymes, so that multiple under-processed structures remain on specific areas. These oligomannose glycans are recognized by broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) that are not thwarted by the glycan shield but, paradoxically, target it. Our site-specific glycosylation analysis of a soluble, recombinant trimer (BG505 SOSIP.664) maps the extremes of simplicity and diversity of glycan processing at individual sites and reveals a mosaic of dense clusters of oligomannose glycans on the outer domain. Although individual sites usually minimally affect the global integrity of the glycan shield, we identify examples of how deleting some glycans can subtly influence neutralization by bNAbs that bind at distant sites. The network of bNAb-targeted glycans should be preserved on vaccine antigens.