Rhinovirus C targets ciliated airway epithelial cells

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Cell Biology
• Respiratory Medicine

Background:

• Rhinovirus C (RV-C) causes significant illness in children and asthmatics.
• The specific airway cells targeted by RV-C have remained unidentified.
• Hypotheses proposed ciliated airway epithelial cells (AECs) as the primary target, mediated by cadherin related family member 3 (CDHR3).

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the primary host cell type for RV-C infection in the airways.
• To investigate the role of CDHR3 in RV-C cell entry and tropism.

Main Methods:

• Infection of differentiated human bronchial epithelial cell (HBEC) cultures with RV-C15.
• Assessment using immunofluorescent and time-lapse epifluorescent imaging.
• Immunohistochemistry to evaluate cell morphology and marker expression.

Main Results:

• RV-C15 infection was observed in ciliated AECs, not goblet cells.
• Infected cells showed increased staining for ciliated cell markers and were shed from the epithelium.
• CDHR3 expression was significantly higher on ciliated AECs and correlated with RV-C binding and replication.

Conclusions:

• RV-C replicates exclusively in ciliated AECs in vitro, resulting in cell shedding.
• CDHR3 expression on ciliated AECs is crucial for RV-C tropism and replication.
• Factors influencing AEC differentiation and CDHR3 production may dictate RV-C disease severity.