Alternate Names
Structural polyprotein, p130, Capsid protein, 3.4.21.90, Coat protein, C, Precursor of protein E3/E2, p62, pE2, Assembly protein E3, Spike glycoprotein E2, E2 envelope glycoprotein, 6K protein, Spike glycoprotein E1, E1 envelope glycoprotein
Background
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne alphavirus responsible for Chikungunya fever, a disease marked by fever, rash, and joint pain. The E1 envelope glycoprotein, a 47 kDa class II fusion protein, plays a critical role in viral entry by mediating low pH-triggered membrane fusion within host endosomes. It forms heterodimers with E2 glycoproteins, assembling into spike trimers on the viral surface that facilitate host cell attachment and infection. Due to its essential function in viral infectivity, the E1 protein is widely used in studies of viral entry, antibody development, vaccine design, and diagnostic assay optimization.