University at Buffalo researchers in a long-term collaboration with scientists at the Vollum Institute have captured for the first time and in exquisite detail pictures of receptors in a fully open conformation. The paper also describes for the first time the sequence of structural changes that transform receptors from being silent to being fully active.

Key takeaways

UCLA scientists discovered how certain mosquito-borne viruses breach the brain’s defenses, showing that invasive strains exploit just one or two protein doorways to slip inside.

The findings reveal precise viral-host interactions that could be targeted with new antivirals or vaccines to block infection before it reaches the brain.

The study demonstrates the power of a stem cell-based human blood-brain barrier model, which can be used to investigate how many different pathogens interact with the brain’s protective lining.