Structural biology of virus-host interactions
Group leader
Juan Fontana
Email
Phone
+34 946 01 8053
Address
Biofisika Institute (CSIC, EHU)
Science Park of the EHU
Barrio Sarriena s/n. 48940 Leioa, Bizkaia (Spain)
Research goal
We use cryo-electron microscopy, combined with other structural and molecular biology approaches, to characterise macromolecular assemblies and viruses that are a current public health risk, like influenza, herpesviruses and bunyaviruses and their interactions with the host cell.
Group members
Juan Fontana
CSIC Research Scientist
Moisés Rojas Rechy
Postdoctoral Fellow
Araceli Marcos
Research Technician
Publications
Hayward C, Hietanen EV, Dobson SJ, Bishop R, Herod MR, Fontana J, Rowlands DJ, Stonehouse NJ
Interactions between the 2C protein of FMDV and components of the viral replication machinery are mediated by ER-derived membranes
J Gen Virol. 2026 May;107(5):002244.
DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.002244.
Shaw AB, Tse HN, Durawa MV, Byford O, Pearson HM, Stapleford KA, Fontana J, Barr JN.
The Bunyamwera orthobunyavirus Gc glycoprotein head and stalk drives an infectious virion assembly pathway specific for the insect host.
PLoS Pathog. 2026 Jul 7;22(7):e1014374.
doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1014374.
Charlton FW, Hover SE, Alyahyawi A, Pearson HM, Edwards TA, Mankouri J, Stacey M, Fontana J, Barr JN.
Identification of cellular ion channels that facilitate Hazara nairovirus infection enables selection of clinically approved compounds with anti-nairoviral properties
Sci Rep. 2026 Mar 24;16(1):14840
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-42810-7
Flynn AJ, Derry A, Debski-Antoniak O, Muench SP, Fontana J*, Simmons KJ*
Adhirons are efficient tools to guide antiviral ligand Discovery
Commun Biol. 2025 Nov 26;8(1):1755. PMID: 41298844; PMCID: PMC12686443.
10.1038/s42003-025-09137-x
Sykora UM, O' Sullivan TJ, Halfon Y, Fontana J, Harris M.
The architecture of membrane structures involved in hepatitis C virus genome replication revealed under close-to-native conditions by cryo-electron tomography
J Gen Virol. 2025 Nov;106(11). PMID: 41196697.
10.1099/jgv.0.002168
Blandy A, Hopes T, Vasconcelos EJR, Turner A, Fatkhullin B, Agapiou M, Fontana J, Aspden JL
Translational activity of 80S monosomes varies dramatically across different tissues
Nucleic Acids Res. 2025 Apr 22;53(8):gkaf292
doi: 10.1093/nar/gkaf292
Beavan AJS, Thuburn V, Fatkhullin B, Cunningham J, Hopes TS, Dimascio E, Chan T, Zhao N, Norris K, Chau C, Vasconcelos EJR, Wood A, Whitehouse A, Actis P, Davies B, Fontana J, O'Connell MJ, Thomson E, Aspden JL
Specialized ribosomes: integrating new insights and current challenges
Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2025 Mar 6;380(1921):20230377
doi: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0377
Shah A, Zhang X, Snee M, Lockhart-Cairns MP, Levy CW, Jowitt TA, Birchenough HL, Dean L, Collins R, Dodd RJ, Roberts ARE, Enghild JJ, Mantovani A, Fontana J, Baldock C, Inforzato A, Richter RP, Day AJ
The structural organisation of pentraxin-3 and its interactions with heavy chains of inter-α-inhibitor regulate crosslinking of the hyaluronan matrix
Matrix Biol. 2025 Apr;136:52-68
doi: 10.1016/j.matbio.2025.01.002
Byford O, Shaw AB, Tse HN, Moon-Walker A, Saphire EO, Whelan SPJ, Stacey M, Hewson R, Fontana J, Barr JN
Lymphocytic choriomeningitis arenavirus utilises intercellular connections for cell to cell spread
Sci Rep. 2024 Nov 22;14(1):28961
doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-79397-w
Hover S, Barr JN, Fontana J
Insights into the structure of RNPs from segmented negative-sense RNA viruses
Structure. 2024 Aug 8;32(8):1027-1028
doi: 10.1016/j.str.2024.07.008
Debski-Antoniak O, Flynn A, Klebl DP, Rojas Rechy MH, Tiede C, Wilson IA, Muench SP, Tomlinson D, Fontana J
Exploiting the Affimer platform against influenza A virus
mBio. 2024 Aug 14;15(8):e0180424
DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01804-24
Shaw AB, Tse HN, Byford O, Plahe G, Moon-Walker A, Hover SE, Saphire EO, Whelan SPJ, Mankouri J, Fontana J, Barr JN
Cellular endosomal potassium ion flux regulates arenavirus uncoating during virus entry
mBio. 2024 Jul 17;15(7):e0168423
doi: 10.1128/mbio.01684-23
Byford O, Shaw AB, Tse HN, Todd EJAA, Álvarez-Rodríguez B, Hewson R, Fontana J, Barr JN
Lymphocytic choriomeningitis arenavirus requires cellular COPI and AP-4 complexes for efficient virion production
J Virol. 2024 Mar 19;98(3):e0200623
doi: 10.1128/jvi.02006-23
Hover S, Charlton FW, Hellert J, Swanson JJ, Mankouri J, Barr JN, Fontana J
Organisation of the orthobunyavirus tripodal spike and the structural changes induced by low pH and K+ during entry
Nat Commun. 2023 Sep 21;14(1):5885
doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-41205-w
Hopkins FR, Álvarez-Rodríguez B, Heath GR, Panayi K, Hover S, Edwards TA, Barr JN, Fontana J
The Native Orthobunyavirus Ribonucleoprotein Possesses a Helical Architecture
mBio. 2022 Aug 30;13(4):e0140522
doi: 10.1128/mbio.01405-22