Marburg virus enters human cells far more efficiently than Ebola

U of M researchers find strategies to combat lethal virus

Marburg isn’t a household name like Ebola, but University of Minnesota researchers created a method for comparison and showed it 300 times more efficient at infecting human cells.

Marburg virus invades human cells far more efficiently than Ebola, study reveals

In a new study published in Nature, University of Minnesota researchers have found that the Marburg virus, one of the world's deadliest pathogens with an average 73% fatality rate, is unusually efficient at getting inside human cells. They also showed that the virus's entry protein contains structural features that explain this efficiency and point to a strategy for blocking infection.

Marburg virus enters human cells far more efficiently than Ebola

In a new study published in Nature, University of Minnesota researchers found that the Marburg virus, one of the world's deadliest pathogens with an average 73% fatality rate, is unusually efficient at getting inside human cells.

Structures of Marburgvirus glycoprotein and its complex with NPC1 receptor

Marburgviruses (MBVs) cause severe haemorrhagic fever with higher fatality rates than Ebola virus (EBOV)1–4. Here we show that the MBV glycoprotein (GP) mediates viral entry more efficiently than EBOV GP. Using cryo-EM, we determined structures of MBV GP in three states: (1) unbound; (2) bound to its endosomal receptor NPC1; and (3) complexed with a neutralizing nanobody. The glycan cap shields the receptor-binding site from NPC1 but only partia…