title: Effective replication of human influenza viruses in mice lacking a major alpha2,6 sialyltransferase.
abstract: The hemagglutinins of influenza viruses isolated from humans typically prefer binding to sialic acid in an alpha2,6 linkage. Presumably, the virus uses the presence of these receptors on the respiratory tract to gain entrance into the host cell. The ST6Gal I sialyltransferase knock-out mouse lacks the main enzyme necessary for the attachment of alpha2,6 sialic acid to N-linked glycoproteins on the cell surface. Yet even in the absence of detectable alpha2,6 sialic acid in the mouse respiratory tract, human influenza viruses can still infect these mice and grow to similar titers in the lung and trachea as compared to wild-type animals. This work demonstrates that the presence of a major alpha2,6 sialic acid on N-linked glycoproteins is not essential for human influenza virus infection in mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA. Peter.Palese@mssm.edu
authors.forename: Laurel
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Glaser
authors.forename: Gina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Conenello
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Paulson
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Palese
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000201:enzymology / Q000821:virology; D011991:Receptors, Virus / Q000378:metabolism; D012137:Respiratory System / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012799:Sialyltransferases / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000502:physiology*; D000094802:beta-D-Galactoside alpha 2-6-Sialyltransferase
chemical_list: D011991:Receptors, Virus; D012794:Sialic Acids; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins; D012799:Sialyltransferases; D000094802:beta-D-Galactoside alpha 2-6-Sialyltransferase