Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42856362›Full record

ArticlebioRxiv : the preprint server for biology2026

Serum IgM crosslinks hepatitis B subviral particles into supramolecular immune complexes.

Chang Liu, Aditi Dhawan, Xinyi Yao, Juyeon Park, Gautam Penna, Sean Mulligan, Alexandra Beaver, Helen Chen, Flora Donati, Stephan Urban and 5 more

Abstract readPreprint
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Chang LiuDepartment of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-9373-8458
Aditi DhawanVirus-Associated Carcinogenesis, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
Xinyi YaoDepartment of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.ORCID 0009-0001-2217-7339
Juyeon ParkDepartment of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-9549-4645
Gautam PennaDepartment of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.ORCID 0009-0002-6810-3834
Sean MulliganPacific Northwest Center for Cryo-EM, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA.
Alexandra BeaverDepartment of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.ORCID 0009-0006-6666-8443
Helen ChenDepartment of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
Flora DonatiVirus-Associated Carcinogenesis, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
Stephan UrbanVirus-Associated Carcinogenesis, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
Ralf BartenschlagerVirus-Associated Carcinogenesis, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-5601-9307
George GeorgiouDepartment of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-8823-3073
Shirin NkongoloDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
Stefan SeitzVirus-Associated Carcinogenesis, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
Zunlong KeDepartment of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-8408-850X

Funding

Pacific Northwest Center for Cryo-EM: Equipment SupplementR24GM154185 · NIGMS · OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY · PI James E Evans, CLAUDIA SUSANA LOPEZ · 2024 to 2026
$21.5M
NIGMS NIH HHS R24 GM154185
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected cells release hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-rich subviral particles (SVPs) in large excess over infectious virions. SVPs bind antibodies against HBsAg (anti-HBs), including neutralizing antibodies, but the physical products of antibody capture in human blood are uncharacterized. Here we used cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) to image HBsAg-enriched serum from a patient with severe acute Hepatitis B and observed three-dimensional assemblies of intact IgM-SVP immune complexes. These associations persisted at a lower particle density and were validated by a spatial-randomization null model. Subtomogram averaging and single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) identified three serum IgM Fc-core assemblies, IgM-J-CD5L, IgM-J and IgM-J-SC, with cryo-EM maps reaching 2.8 Å resolution. Mapping these Fc core assemblies into tomograms revealed full-length IgM engaging individual SVPs through several Fab arms and bridging neighboring particles into immune complex networks containing multiple IgM molecules and SVPs. Thus, serum IgM uses multivalent Fab interactions to crosslink HBsAg-rich SVPs into supramolecular immune complexes. This observation extends the SVP decoy model from passive antibody sequestration to higher-order particle organization.

Identifiers

PMID42856362
PMCPMC13648718

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.