G.-J. Boons

Asymmetrical Bi-antennary Glycans Prepared by a Stop-and-Go Strategy Reveal Receptor Binding Evolution of Human Influenza A Viruses

This paper develops a stop-and-go chemoenzymatic method to synthesize asymmetrical bi-antennary glycans and uses them to study receptor binding evolution of human influenza A viruses.

Full-Length Single-Molecule Protein Fingerprinting

This paper introduces a method to map amino acid positions and post-translational modifications in single protein molecules with sub-nanometer resolution using FRET-based single-molecule protein fingerprinting.

Exploiting Substrate Specificities of 6-O-Sulfotransferases to Enzymatically Synthesize Keratan Sulfate Oligosaccharides

This paper uses sulfotransferase substrate specificities to enzymatically synthesize keratan sulfate oligosaccharides and investigates their binding properties with lectins and viral proteins.

Sialoglycan binding triggers spike opening in a human coronavirus

This study shows that sialoglycan binding triggers the opening of the spike protein in the human coronavirus HKU1 through allosteric inter-domain cross-talk.

Probing Altered Receptor Specificities of Antigenically Drifting Human H3N2 Viruses by Chemoenzymatic Synthesis, NMR and Modeling

The paper examines altered receptor specificities of H3N2 influenza viruses using NMR and computational methods to identify binding interactions with extended N-glycans.

Contemporary human H3N2 influenza A viruses require a low threshold of suitable glycan receptors for efficient infection

This study shows that recent H3N2 influenza A viruses require a low threshold of glycan receptors for efficient infection, and increasing receptor numbers beyond this threshold does not improve infection efficiency.

Structural conservation of Lassa virus glycoproteins and recognition by neutralizing antibodies

The paper structures and characterizes Lassa virus glycoproteins from multiple lineages and identifies neutralizing antibodies that target conserved epitopes.

Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Heparan Sulfate Oligosaccharides having a Domain Structure

This study develops a chemoenzymatic method to synthesize HS oligosaccharides with defined NS and NA domains, showing that NA domain length affects chemokine binding.

Synthetic HNK-1 containing glycans provide insight into binding properties of serum antibodies from MAG-neuropathy patients

The paper develops a chemoenzymatic method to synthesize HNK-1 containing oligosaccharides and uses them to identify distinct binding preferences of serum antibodies from anti-MAG neuropathy patients.

Structure, immunogenicity, and conformation-dependent receptor binding of the post-fusion human metapneumovirus F protein

This study determines the structure of post-fusion hMPV B2 F protein, assesses its receptor binding and immunogenicity, and shows it induces neutralizing antibodies against multiple hMPV strains.

Cell Surface Glycan Engineering Reveals that Matriglycan Alone can Recapitulate Dystroglycan Binding and Function

This study shows matriglycan can independently bind Laminin, viral proteins, and antibodies, and block viral infection, suggesting it acts as a tunable receptor.

3D visualization of SARS-CoV-2 infection and receptor distribution in Syrian hamster lung lobes display distinct spatial arrangements

The paper uses 3D visualization to show that SARS-CoV-2 infection in Syrian hamster lungs occurs only where ACE2 and TMPRSS2 co-localize.

Sialic acid-Dependent Binding and Viral Entry of SARS-CoV-2

This study shows SARS-CoV-2 RBD binds sialylated glycans, particularly gangliosides, and that reducing cell surface sialic acid decreases viral entry.

Functionality of the putative surface glycoproteins of the Wuhan spiny eel influenza virus

The paper functionally and antigenically characterizes the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase of Wuhan spiny eel influenza virus to assess its status as a bona fide influenza virus.

Glycan remodeled erythrocytes facilitate antigenic characterizationof recent A/H3N2 influenza viruses

The paper demonstrates that glycan remodeling of erythrocytes enables antigenic characterization of recent A/H3N2 influenza viruses that lack agglutination ability.

Heparan sulfate proteoglycans as attachment factor for SARS-CoV-2

This study identifies heparan sulfate proteoglycans as an attachment factor for SARS-CoV-2 and suggests HS oligosaccharides could inhibit viral binding.

Salt-free fractionation of complex isomeric mixtures of glycosaminoglycan oligosaccharides compatible with ESI-MS and microarray analysis

This paper introduces a multi-dimensional separation method for glycosaminoglycan oligosaccharides that enables structural and functional analysis without desalting.