Investigation into the distinct structural features of the internal fusion loop within the LASV fusion domain

Infection with Lassa virus (LASV), an Old-World arenavirus that is endemic to West Africa, causes Lassa fever – a lethal hemorrhagic fever. Delivery of LASV's genetic material into the host cell is an integral component of its lifecycle. This is accomplished via membrane fusion – a process widely accepted to be initiated by a hydrophobic sequence known as the fusion domain (FD).The LASV FD (G260–N295) consists of two structurally distinct regions: an N-terminal fusion peptide (FP: G260–P275) and an internal fusion loop (FL: G276–N295).