Finding the Goldilocks zone: Modulating glycoprotein cleavage and fusogenicity optimizes the efficacy of a candidate Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus vaccine

Abstract

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is the etiologic agent of a lethal hemorrhagic disease spread by ticks throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. The lack of approved medical countermeasures and fundamental understanding of molecular mechanisms of viral assembly and egress have thus far curtailed disease prevention. Here, we identify and characterize key residues within the viral glycoprotein through forward and reverse genetics for vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV)-based vaccine candidates that are highly protective in animal models. These residues are broadly applicable across divergent CCHFV strains and lead to greater protection in vivo against heterologous challenge. We further characterize the essential role of proteolytic processing in the maintenance of a stable fusogenic state required for effective VSV-based CCHFV vaccines. This study establishes a toolkit for better understanding orthonairovirus glycoprotein processing and vaccine development.