Elsevier

Virology

Volume 436, Issue 1, 5 February 2013, Pages 210-220
Virology

Dog nectin-4 is an epithelial cell receptor for canine distemper virus that facilitates virus entry and syncytia formation

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.virol.2012.11.011Get rights and content
Under an Elsevier user license
open archive

Abstract

Canine distemper virus (CDV) was shown to use dog nectin-4 as a receptor to gain entry into epithelial cells. RNA from dog placenta or MDCK kidney cells was isolated and cDNAs were prepared. Two splice variants of dog nectin-4 were identified. A deletion of 25 amino acids was found in the cytoplasmic domain of dog nectin-4 from MDCK cells, corresponding to a splice variant that is also seen in murine nectin-4, and did not affect its role as a receptor. Both dog nectin-4 and human nectin-4 could function as an entry factor for CDV containing an EGFP reporter gene. Inhibition of dog nectin-4 expression by RNAi or nectin-4 antibodies decreased CDV titers and EGFP fluorescence. Finally, dog nectin-4 also promotes syncytia formation, which could be inhibited by siRNA treatment. These data confirm that dog nectin-4 can be used by CDV to gain entry into epithelial cells, and facilitate virus spread.

Highlights

► Canine distemper virus (CDV) was shown to use dog nectin-4 as a receptor. ► Two splice variants of dog nectin-4 were identified. ► Both dog nectin-4 and human nectin-4 could function as an entry factor for CDV. ► CDV infection could be inhibited by RNAi or with nectin-4 antibodies. ► Dog nectin-4 promotes syncytia formation, which could be inhibited by siRNA treatment.

Keywords

Nectin-4
PVRL4
Receptor
Epithelial cell
Canine distemper virus
CDV
MDCK

Cited by (0)

1

These authors contributed equally to this work.