title: Heparan sulfate facilitates Rift Valley fever virus entry into the cell.
abstract: Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), an emerging arthropod-borne pathogen, has a broad host and cell tropism. Here we report that the glycosaminoglycan heparan sulfate, abundantly present on the surface of most animal cells, is required for efficient entry of RVFV. Entry was significantly reduced by preincubating the virus inoculum with highly sulfated heparin, by enzymatic removal of heparan sulfate from cells and in cells genetically deficient in heparan sulfate synthesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases & Immunology, Virology Division, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: de Boer
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kortekaas
authors.forename: C A M
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: de Haan
authors.forename: P J M
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Rottier
authors.forename: R J M
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Moormann
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Bosch
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016466:CHO Cells; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D006497:Heparan Sulfate / Q000502:physiology*; D008561:Membrane Fusion / Q000502:physiology*; D012296:Rift Valley fever virus / Q000502:physiology*; D056189:Viral Tropism
chemical_list: D006497:Heparan Sulfate