Influenza A penetrates host mucus by cleaving sialic acids with neuraminidase.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Influenza A virus (IAV) neuraminidase (NA) cleaves sialic acids (Sias) from glycans. Inhibiting NA with oseltamivir suppresses both viral infection, and viral release from cultured human airway epithelial cells. The role of NA in viral exit is well established: it releases budding virions by cleaving Sias from glycoconjugates on infected cells and progeny virions. The role of NA in viral entry remains unclear. Host respiratory epithelia secrete a mucus layer rich in heavily sialylated glycoproteins; these could inhibit viral entry by mimicking sialylated receptors on the cell surface. It has been suggested that NA allows influenza to penetrate the mucus by cleaving these sialylated decoys, but the exact mechanism is not yet established.

Methods

We tested IAV inter

SUBMITTER: Cohen M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3842836 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature