New insights into the Hendra virus attachment and entry process from structures of the virus G glycoprotein and its complex with Ephrin-B2.

Hendra virus and Nipah virus, comprising the genus Henipavirus, are recently emerged, highly pathogenic and often lethal zoonotic agents against which there are no approved therapeutics. Two surface glycoproteins, the attachment (G) and fusion (F), mediate host cell entry. The crystal structures of the Hendra G glycoprotein alone and in complex with the ephrin-B2 receptor reveal that henipavirus uses Tryptophan 122 on ephrin-B2/B3 as a "latch" to facilitate the G-receptor association.

Ganglioside mediate the interaction between Nogo receptor 1 and LINGO-1.

Upon spinal cord injury, the myelin inhibitors, including the myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG), Nogo-A and the oligodendrocyte myelin glycoprotein (OMgp), bind to and signal via a single neuronal receptor/co-receptor complex comprising of Nogo receptor 1(NgR1)/LINGO-1 and p75 or TROY, impeding regeneration of injured axons. We employed a cell-free system to study the binding of NgR1 to its co-receptors and the myelin inhibitor Nogo-A, and show that gangliosides mediate the interaction of NgR1 with LINGO-1. Solid phase binding assays demonstrate that the sialic acid moieties of gangliosides and the stalk of NgR1 are the principal determinants of these molecular interactions.

Crystal structure of the Nogo-receptor-2.

The inhibition of axon regeneration upon mechanical injury is dependent on interactions between Nogo receptors (NgRs) and their myelin-derived ligands. NgRs are composed of a leucine-rich repeat (LRR) region, thought to be structurally similar among the different isoforms of the receptor, and a divergent "stalk" region. It has been shown by others that the LRR and stalk regions of NgR1 and NgR2 have distinct roles in conferring binding affinity to the myelin associated glycoprotein (MAG) in vivo.

Tie1-Tie2 interactions mediate functional differences between angiopoietin ligands.

The Tie family of endothelial-specific receptor tyrosine kinases is essential for cell proliferation, migration, and survival during angiogenesis. Despite considerable similarity, experiments with Tie1- or Tie2-deficient mice highlight distinct functions for these receptors in vivo. The Tie2 receptor is further unique with respect to its structurally homologous ligands.

Crystal structures of the Tie2 receptor ectodomain and the angiopoietin-2-Tie2 complex.

The Tie receptor tyrosine kinases and their angiopoietin (Ang) ligands play central roles in developmental and tumor-induced angiogenesis. Here we present the crystal structures of the Tie2 ligand-binding region alone and in complex with Ang2. In contrast to prediction, Tie2 contains not two but three immunoglobulin (Ig) domains, which fold together with the three epidermal growth factor domains into a compact, arrowhead-shaped structure.

Adam meets Eph: an ADAM substrate recognition module acts as a molecular switch for ephrin cleavage in trans.

The Eph family of receptor tyrosine kinases and their ephrin ligands are mediators of cell-cell communication. Cleavage of ephrin-A2 by the ADAM10 membrane metalloprotease enables contact repulsion between Eph- and ephrin-expressing cells. How ADAM10 interacts with ephrins in a regulated manner to cleave only Eph bound ephrin molecules remains unclear.