Super happy to receive an M-2 weave grant from the NWO (Dutch Research Council). Together with Sayed Abd El-Whab we will study the molecular features of H5Nx HA and NA proteins. #glycotime www.nwo.nl/en/news/gran...
nwo.nl
Robert de Vries
@rpdevrieslab.bsky.social
Virologist turned glycoscientist... Associate Prof @ Utrecht University Chemical Biology & Drug Discovery
Super happy to receive an M-2 weave grant from the NWO (Dutch Research Council). Together with Sayed Abd El-Whab we will study the molecular features of H5Nx HA and NA proteins. #glycotime www.nwo.nl/en/news/gran...
nwo.nl
#glycotime alert! Zhiyong synthesized O-acetylated GD3 gangliosides, which were used to examine viral receptor specificities in a cellular context by @LiangRuonan great work by @zeshi_li and @TheBoonsGroup @uu-cbdd.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Chemoenzymatically Synthesized O-Acetylated GD3 Gangliosides to Examine Viral Receptor Specificities in a Cellular Context
Gangliosides are a class of sialic acid-containing glycosphingolipids involved in a wide range of biological processes. The terminal sialic acid of gangliosides can be O -acetylated at C7 and/or C9 hy...
biorxiv.org
Very happy that our paper on the receptor binding properties of contemporary H3N2 viruses is now published @CellReports # glycotime www.cell.com/cell-reports...
Epistasis in the receptor-binding domain of contemporary H3N2 viruses that reverted to bind sialylated di-LacNAc repeats
Liang et al. shows how contemporary H3N2 viruses reverted to bind sialylated di-LacNAc at the molecular level. Using complex symmetrical and asymmetric N-glycans, major epistatic interactions were rev...
cell.com
And now published! #glycotime "Sialic Acid-Containing Glycolipids Extend the Receptor Repertoire of Enterovirus-D68" fantastic collaboration with @lisabauervirus.bsky.social @debbyvanriel.bsky.social @TheBoonsGroup enjoy 👍https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsinfecdis.5c00063
We are happy to share the first publication of our consortium: pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
Sialic Acid-Containing Glycolipids Extend the Receptor Repertoire of Enterovirus-D68
Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) emerged as a pathogen of increasing health concern globally, particularly due to its association with outbreaks of severe respiratory diseases and acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) in children. Knowledge regarding the tissue tropism and pathogenesis of EV-D68 within the respiratory tract and central nervous system remains limited, primarily due to an incomplete understanding of the host factors that facilitate the entry of EV-D68 into host cells. Several cellular receptors involved in EV-D68 infections have been identified, including ICAM-5, sialylated glycoproteins, and heparan sulfate (HS). Here, we investigate the receptor requirement of a panel of EV-D68 strains covering all clades, focusing on HS and sialosides utilizing glycan arrays. We found that all EV-D68 strains binding to HS harbor a cell culture adaptive substitution in the structural protein VP1 at position 271, which changes the amino acid into a positively charged one. Glycan array analyses revealed that EV-D68 strains prefer α2,6-linked sialic acids presented on N-glycans, α2,8-linked sialic acids on gangliosides, or both. Inhibition of glycolipid biosynthesis or multivalent glycolipid mimics confirmed that ganglioside structures serve as entry receptors for certain EV-D68 strains. Lastly, we examined whether EV-D68 strains that bind to HS or glycolipids require different uncoating mechanisms. Bafilomycin A1 minimally affected the cell entry of HS-binding EV-D68 strains B2/039 and B2/947, and the ganglioside preferring B1/2013 and other viruses were strongly inhibited. Together, we identified that EV-D68 strains can use disialoglycolipids as novel receptors and that different EV-D68 strains show a promiscuous sialic acid binding repertoire.
pubs.acs.org
New paper of Yunfei! Here, he synthesized sulfonates in different sialylated epitopes... although not better ligands for most lectins tested, they were tolerated and even preferred by siglec-4. #glycotime pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
Chemoenzymatic Synthesis and Biological Recognition of a Sulfonate Isostere of 6-Sulfo-sialyl Lewisx
Sulfation of N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) moieties of glycans is a common modification that has been implicated in many biological and disease processes. Glycans having sulfate replaced by a stable an...
pubs.acs.org
What a great thread and very interesting preprint 👍
In new study led by @timyu.bsky.social, we measure how mutations to H3 flu HA affect cell entry, stability & antibody escape We find pleiotropic effects of mutations on these phenotypes shape evolution: epistasis alleviates cell-entry but not stability constraints www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Happy Eurovision! Basel is awesome, getting ready for the final!🏳️🌈🇫🇮
Happy to be able to contribute to this very cool preprint Characterization of the glycoproteins of novel fish influenza B-like viruses #glycotime #lovevirology @uu-cbdd.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Characterization of the glycoproteins of novel fish influenza B-like viruses
Novel influenza-like virus sequences previously identified in fish and amphibians were found to cluster as a sister clade of influenza B viruses, but have thus far remained uncharacterized. We demonst...
biorxiv.org
Excited to have this story out on bioRxv! #glycotime #lovevirology #H5N1 The receptor binding properties of H5Nx influenza A viruses have evolved to promiscuously bind to avian-type mucin-like O-glycans. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
The receptor binding properties of H5Nx influenza A viruses have evolved to promiscuously bind to avian-type mucin-like O-glycans
Highly pathogenic H5Nx influenza A viruses are causing unprecedented, season-independent outbreaks across avian and mammalian species, including dairy cattle, a novel reservoir. The sialoside-binding ...
biorxiv.org
Now published in PNAS, this is a fantastic paper on how HA moves within a virion upon receptor binding. By the way, do check the #badglycans in Figure 6 😐 www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
pnas.org
We a looking for a Postdoc! Interested in virology, stem-cell derived models, glycans? Apply before 29th of October! @thijskuiken.bsky.social @lisabauervirus.bsky.social @marionkoopmans.bsky.social @rpdevrieslab.bsky.social www.werkenbijerasmusmc.nl/en/vacancy/1...
Vacature: Postdoc Virology
The department of Viroscience at the Erasmus MC and the department of Chemical Biology & Drug discovery at Utrecht University have joined forces to identify functional glycan receptors for influenza A...
werkenbijerasmusmc.nl
Now out in Nature! Bovine H5 maintains binding to avian-type receptors. #glycotyme #H5N1 @uu-cbdd.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Receptor-binding specificity of a bovine influenza A virus - Nature
Nature - Receptor-binding specificity of a bovine influenza A virus
nature.com
Happy to have this story now published in @PNAS The Q226L mutation can convert a highly pathogenic H5 2.3.4.4e virus to bind human-type receptors | PNAS #glycotime www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
pnas.org
#Viruseslikeitsweet is online! We are a consortium of the department of Viroscience @erasmusmc.bsky.social and the department of Chemical Biology & Drug discovery @utrechtuniversity.bsky.social Follow our progress here or via our Linked-In account: NWO-XL Consortium Viruses like it Sweet
The DAVS is always a blast! Happy to have it in Utrecht. Fyi same location for glycoscienceNL late June 😉
Time for the Dutch Annual Virology Symposium, in the beautiful Geertekerk in Utrecht. Stoked to present our work on antibody sequencing 😁
Here comes the most complex non-human milk glycome! 🥁 >300 milk oligosaccharides in grey seals, analyzed over the lactation period (+metabolomics! +functional experiments!) Next to increasing known milk glycans by >20% we also present mega-milk glycans (28 sugars!!) www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Seal milk oligosaccharides rival human milk complexity and exhibit functional dynamics during lactation
Breast milk oligosaccharides are crucial for neonatal development and health. Yet most milk research focuses on humans, or domesticated mammals that are historically poor in milk oligosaccharide compl...
biorxiv.org
I have a PhD position open in my lab! viruses and glycans... who does not love that combo😉. Please share!. #glycotime #lovevirology www.uu.nl/en/organisat...
PhD Position in Virus-Glycan Interactions
If you're ready to solve virus-glycan interaction puzzles and shape the future of novel in vitro models, join us!
uu.nl
The epidemiology and evolution of H3N2 canine influenza virus in dogs over 20 years. Lead by @brianrwasik.bsky.social shows that spread is determined by the dog population structure. The virus has not become better at transmitting in dogs after 1000s of transfers. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40040347/
Cambodia reports second fatal human #H5N1 case in 2025 in a 2 y/o child from Prey Veng province on Feb 25. Exposure to sick and dead chickens near his home. #Avian #influenza remains a serious threat. Strengthening #OneHealth surveillance and response is critical. #BirdFlu
Onderzoeker en viroloog John van der Oost wint de #Beijerinck #Virologie Prijs voor zijn CRISPR-Cas onderzoek. Early career onderzoekers Carmen Embregts & Puck van Kasteren ontvangen de #BeijerinckPremie. www.knaw.nl/nieuws/voorb... @rdo-erasmusmc.bsky.social @rivm-nl.bsky.social @w-u-r.bsky.social
Now out in structure... I really question the biological relevance, as in a virus, the NA will take care of that SIA 😉 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Structure of a zoonotic H5N1 hemagglutinin reveals a receptor-binding site occupied by an auto-glycan
Highly pathogenic avian influenza has spilled into many mammals, most notably cows and poultry, with several dozen human breakthrough infections. Zoon…
sciencedirect.com
New cryoEM structure of zoonotic H5N1 from Peter Kwong's lab curiously shows the glycan at N169 occupying the HA receptor binding site of a neighboring promoter #glycotime 🧪 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Save the date! June 27th is our 3rd GlycoScienceNL symposium...Geertekerk Utrecht! major #glycotime! @uu-cbdd.bsky.social @uuuips.bsky.social nvbmb.kncv.nl/glycoscience Please tag and RT at will!
Glycoscience NL - NVBMB
nvbmb.kncv.nl
Please see this fantastic thread by @lisabauervirus.bsky.social about our recent preprint on the glycan binding properties of enteroviruses. It was great working with her team at @erasmusmc.bsky.social and, with @debbyvanriel.bsky.social, as we started this project some years ago. #glycotime
I am happy to share our new preprint on Enterovirus-D68 and its glycan receptor specificity! #Enterovirus #Glycotime www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
We have a new preprint on the receptor specificity of 2.3.4.4 H5 viruses. We introduced the hallmark Q226L mutation in several antigenic backgrounds and observed different phenotypes. #H5N1 #glycotime www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
The Q226L mutation can convert a highly pathogenic H5 2.3.4.4e virus to bind human-type receptors
H5Nx viruses continue to wreak havoc in avian and mammalian species worldwide. The virus distinguishes itself by the ability to replicate to high titers and transmit efficiently in a wide variety of h...
biorxiv.org
Happy new year all... look what i just found in the graphical abstract... #badglycans www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Identification of a broad-inhibition influenza neuraminidase antibody from pre-existing memory B cells
Identifying broadly reactive B precursor cells and conserved epitopes is crucial for developing a universal flu vaccine. In this study, using influenz…
sciencedirect.com