National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 40(113), 2016
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Significance Attachment to cellular glycans is a critical process in cell entry for several viruses. Antibodies that block this essential step can serve as neutralizing antibodies. Among human noroviruses (NoVs), serum antibodies that block histo-blood group antigen (HBGA) binding serve as correlates of protection. Escape from neutralization with evolving human NoVs (HuNoVs) through antigenic variation and differential HBGA binding is suggested to form a basis for the emergence of new strains. Currently, we are aware of no structural insights into antibody-mediated HBGA blockade or neutralization, or how emerging strains escape such neutralization. Our study reveals how a human IgA monoclonal antibody binds and blocks HBGA binding and indicates how other strains escape host immunity, laying the structural framework for understanding the immune correlates of protection against HuNoVs.