Wenwei Li
Associate Research ScientistCards
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Research
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2025
The asymmetric opening of HIV-1 Env by a potent CD4 mimetic enables anti-coreceptor binding site antibodies to mediate ADCC
Richard J, Grunst M, Niu L, Díaz-Salinas M, Zhu L, Tolbert W, Marchitto L, Zhou F, Bourassa C, Kim H, Boodapati S, Yang D, Chiu T, Chen H, Benlarbi M, Beaudoin-Bussières G, Gottumukkala S, Li W, Dionne K, Bélanger É, Chatterjee D, Medjahed H, Hendrickson W, Sodroski J, Lang Z, Morton A, Huang R, Matthies D, Smith A, Kumar P, Mothes W, Munro J, Pazgier M, Finzi A. The asymmetric opening of HIV-1 Env by a potent CD4 mimetic enables anti-coreceptor binding site antibodies to mediate ADCC. Nature Communications 2025, 16: 10419. PMID: 41326374, PMCID: PMC12669584, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-65866-x.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAntibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicityAntibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity activityEnv conformationCD4-inducedAntibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity in vivoHIV-1-infected humanized micePrimary HIV-1 isolatesHIV-1 envelope glycoproteinCD4-mimetic compoundsHIV-1 isolatesHIV-1 EnvNon-neutralizing antibodiesViral reboundART interruptionHumanized miceCellular cytotoxicityHIV-1NnAbsEnvelope glycoproteinSite antibodiesEnvTherapeutic potentialAntibodiesCD4CD4mcDevelopment and Characterization of an Inducible Bacterial Artificial Chromosome System for Studying Lytic Replication and Pathogenesis of Kaposi's Sarcoma‐Associated Herpesvirus
Xu X, Dong P, Li W, Wang X, Ming Z, Liu Z, Zhu F, Liang Q. Development and Characterization of an Inducible Bacterial Artificial Chromosome System for Studying Lytic Replication and Pathogenesis of Kaposi's Sarcoma‐Associated Herpesvirus. Journal Of Medical Virology 2025, 97: e70392. PMID: 40358030, DOI: 10.1002/jmv.70392.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsBacterial artificial chromosomeKSHV lytic replicationLytic replicationViral proteinsCellular genesBAC backboneBacterial artificial chromosome systemContext of virus infectionTargets of viral proteinsFused fluorescent proteinsHygromycin selectable markerPathogenesis of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirusKaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirusEfficient lytic replicationChromosome systemArtificial chromosomeHerpesvirus genomesSarcoma-associated herpesvirusSubcellular localizationSelectable markerResponse elementGene knockoutFluorescent proteinCRISPR-Cas9Progeny virusAuthor Correction: HIV-1 Env trimers asymmetrically engage CD4 receptors in membranes
Li W, Qin Z, Nand E, Grunst M, Grover J, Bess J, Lifson J, Zwick M, Tagare H, Uchil P, Mothes W. Author Correction: HIV-1 Env trimers asymmetrically engage CD4 receptors in membranes. Nature 2025, 639: e15-e15. PMID: 39994465, PMCID: PMC11903299, DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-08802-9.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchBPS2025 - Structure and inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 spike refolding in membranes
Mothes W, Grunst M, Qin Z, Dodero-Rojas E, Ding S, Prevost J, Chen Y, Hu Y, Pazgier M, Wu S, Xie X, Finzi A, Onuchic J, Whitford P, Li W. BPS2025 - Structure and inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 spike refolding in membranes. Biophysical Journal 2025, 124: 580a. DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2024.11.3011.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2024
Inducible cell lines producing replication-defective human immunodeficiency virus particles containing envelope glycoproteins stabilized in a pretriggered conformation
Ding H, Nguyen H, Li W, Deshpande A, Zhang S, Jiang F, Zhang Z, Anang S, Mothes W, Sodroski J, Kappes J. Inducible cell lines producing replication-defective human immunodeficiency virus particles containing envelope glycoproteins stabilized in a pretriggered conformation. Journal Of Virology 2024, 98: e01720-24. PMID: 39508605, PMCID: PMC11650979, DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01720-24.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchHuman immunodeficiency virusEnv trimersNeutralizing antibodiesHIV-1Virus-like particlesEnvelope glycoproteinEnv conformationImmunodeficiency virusInducible cell linesCell linesImmune systemEffective HIV/AIDS vaccineHIV-1 persistenceHuman immunodeficiency virus particlesEnvelope glycoprotein spikeHIV-1 EnvPoorly neutralizing antibodiesHIV-like particlesHIV-1 particlesDefective virus-like particlesHost immune systemEnv immunogensHIV/AIDS vaccineCreation of stable cell linesHost cell receptorsBeta Spike-Presenting SARS-CoV-2 Virus-like Particle Vaccine Confers Broad Protection against Other VOCs in Mice
Ullah I, Symmes K, Keita K, Zhu L, Grunst M, Li W, Mothes W, Kumar P, Uchil P. Beta Spike-Presenting SARS-CoV-2 Virus-like Particle Vaccine Confers Broad Protection against Other VOCs in Mice. Vaccines 2024, 12: 1007. PMID: 39340037, PMCID: PMC11435481, DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12091007.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchImmune responseVirus-like particlesBeta spikesCross-protective immune responsesSARS-CoV-2 immunitySARS-CoV-2Effective immune responseEffective humoral immune responseHumoral immune responseAncestral spikeT cellsVaccination regimenSARS-CoV-2 virus-like particlesVaccine platformMouse modelVariant spike proteinsOmicron spikeBeta variantDisease burdenNon-infectiousReduce virus spreadImmunityVariant spikesFusion glycoproteinSpike proteinStructure and inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 spike refolding in membranes
Grunst M, Qin Z, Dodero-Rojas E, Ding S, Prévost J, Chen Y, Hu Y, Pazgier M, Wu S, Xie X, Finzi A, Onuchic J, Whitford P, Mothes W, Li W. Structure and inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 spike refolding in membranes. Science 2024, 385: 757-765. PMID: 39146425, PMCID: PMC11449073, DOI: 10.1126/science.adn5658.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAngiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2Antibodies, NeutralizingAntibodies, ViralBetacoronavirusCell MembraneCOVID-19Cryoelectron MicroscopyElectron Microscope TomographyHumansMolecular Dynamics SimulationPeptidyl-Dipeptidase AProtein DomainsProtein MultimerizationProtein RefoldingSARS-CoV-2Spike Glycoprotein, CoronavirusVirus InternalizationViral spike-receptor interactions monitored by cryo-electron tomograpy on membranes
Mothes W, Li W, Grunst M, Qin Z, Nand E. Viral spike-receptor interactions monitored by cryo-electron tomograpy on membranes. Biophysical Journal 2024, 123: 24a. DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.11.251.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchBioorthogonal click labeling of an amber-free HIV-1 provirus for in-virus single molecule imaging
Ao Y, Grover J, Gifford L, Han Y, Zhong G, Katte R, Li W, Bhattacharjee R, Zhang B, Sauve S, Qin W, Ghimire D, Haque M, Arthos J, Moradi M, Mothes W, Lemke E, Kwong P, Melikyan G, Lu M. Bioorthogonal click labeling of an amber-free HIV-1 provirus for in-virus single molecule imaging. Cell Chemical Biology 2024, 31: 487-501.e7. PMID: 38232732, PMCID: PMC10960674, DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2023.12.017.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchHIV-1Human immunodeficiency virus-1HIV-1 provirusMinimally invasive approachImmunodeficiency virus-1HIV-1 systemInvasive approachImmune evasionEnvVirus 1Virus entryStudies of virus entryCell entrySingle-molecule Forster resonance energy transferStructural dynamicsSingle molecule imagingMultiple conformational statesForster resonance energy transferCellsClick chemistryVirion internalizationResonance energy transferMolecule imagingEnergy transferLabeling of proteins
2023
HIV-1 Env trimers asymmetrically engage CD4 receptors in membranes
Li W, Qin Z, Nand E, Grunst M, Grover J, Bess J, Lifson J, Zwick M, Tagare H, Uchil P, Mothes W. HIV-1 Env trimers asymmetrically engage CD4 receptors in membranes. Nature 2023, 623: 1026-1033. PMID: 37993716, PMCID: PMC10686830, DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06762-6.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsHIV-1 Env trimersCD4 moleculeHuman immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infectionEnv trimersAntibody-mediated immune responsesEnv-CD4 interactionVirus-1 infectionVaccine immunogen designViral envelope glycoproteinsHIV-1Immune responseCD4 receptorImmunogen designEnvelope glycoproteinVirus-like particlesCD4EnvHost cell membrane
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