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International audience; Zika virus is a member of the Flavivirus genus that had not been associated with severe disease in humans until the recent outbreaks, when it was linked to microcephaly in newborns in Brazil and to Guillain-Barré syndrome in adults in French Polynesia. Zika virus is related to dengue virus, and here we report that a subset of antibodies targeting a conformational epitope isolated from patients with dengue virus also potently neutralize Zika virus. The crystal structure of two of these antibodies in complex with the envelope protein of Zika virus reveals the details of a conserved epitope, which is also the site of interaction of the envelope protein dimer with the precursor membrane (prM) protein during virus maturation. Comparison of the Zika and dengue virus immunocomplexes provides a lead for rational, epitope-focused design of a universal vaccine capable of eliciting potent cross-neutralizing antibodies to protect simultaneously against both Zika and dengue virus infections.

Dengue is a rapidly emerging, mosquito-borne viral infection, with an estimated 400 million infections occurring annually. To gain insight into dengue immunity, we characterized 145 human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and identified a previously unknown epitope, the envelope dimer epitope (EDE), that bridges two envelope protein subunits that make up the 90 repeating dimers on the mature virion. The mAbs to EDE were broadly reactive across the dengue serocomplex and fully neutralized virus produced in either insect cells or primary human cells, with 50% neutralization in the low picomolar range. Our results provide a path to a subunit vaccine against dengue virus and have implications for the design and monitoring of future vaccine trials in which the induction of antibody to the EDE should be prioritized.

Cells infected with dengue virus release a high proportion of immature prM-containing virions. In accordance, substantial levels of prM antibodies are found in sera of infected humans. Furthermore, it has been recently described that the rates of prM antibody responses are significantly higher in patients with secondary infection compared to those with primary infection. This suggests that immature dengue virus may play a role in disease pathogenesis. Interestingly, however, numerous functional studies have revealed that immature particles lack the ability to infect cells. In this report, we show that fully immature dengue particles become highly infectious upon interaction with prM antibodies. We demonstrate that prM antibodies facilitate efficient binding and cell entry of immature particles into Fc-receptor-expressing cells. In addition, enzymatic activity of furin is critical to render the internalized immature virus infectious. Together, these data suggest that during a secondary infection or primary infection of infants born to dengue-immune mothers, immature particles have the potential to be highly infectious and hence may contribute to the development of severe disease., Author Summary Dengue virus represents a major emerging arboviral pathogen circulating in the (sub)tropical regions of the world, putting 2.5 billion people at risk of infection. Each of the four circulating serotypes can cause disease ranging from febrile illness to devastating manifestations including dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome. Severe illness is observed in individuals experiencing a re-infection with a heterologous dengue virus serotype and in infants born to dengue-immune mothers, presumably due to antibody-dependent enhancement of infection. Interestingly, it has been recently reported that patients experiencing a secondary infection have elevated levels of antibodies directed against the prM protein of immature dengue virus particles. Although it is known that cells infected with dengue virus release substantial amounts of prM-containing virions, numerous functional studies have demonstrated that immature particles lack the ability to infect cells. Herein, we show that essentially non-infectious fully immature dengue virions become virtually as infectious as wild type virus particles in the presence of prM antibodies. Anti-prM antibodies facilitate efficient binding and entry of immature dengue virus into cells carrying Fc-receptors. Furthermore, furin activity in target cells is critical for triggering infectivity of immature virus. These data indicate that immature dengue virus has the potential to be highly infectious and hence may contribute to disease pathogenesis.