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[Two different receptors for wild type measles virus].
1Department of Virology III, National Institute of Infectious Diseases Gakuen 4-7-1, Musashimurayama, Tokyo 208-0011, Japan. maino@nih.go.jp
Uirusu
|August 25, 2012
Summary
Measles virus (MV) infects immune cells via SLAM and epithelial cells via nectin4. Understanding these dual receptors clarifies measles pathogenesis and its high contagiousness.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Measles is a highly contagious viral illness causing immune suppression and rash.
- Signaling lymphocyte activation molecule (SLAM) was identified as the measles virus (MV) receptor on immune cells.
- The mechanism of MV's epithelial cell infection and high contagiousness remained unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the molecular mechanisms behind measles virus's high contagiousness.
- To identify the specific receptor used by MV to infect epithelial cells.
- To understand how MV infects both immune and epithelial cells for insights into disease pathogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Previous research demonstrated MV's ability to infect polarized epithelial cells using a non-SLAM receptor.
- Recent studies identified nectin4, a cell adhesion molecule, as the epithelial cell receptor for MV.
Main Results:
- Nectin4 is identified as the specific receptor enabling MV entry into epithelial cells.
- MV utilizes distinct receptors (SLAM and nectin4) to infect different cell types.
Conclusions:
- The identification of nectin4 provides a molecular explanation for MV's epithelial cell tropism.
- Understanding the dual-receptor usage of MV enhances insights into measles pathogenesis and transmission.
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