title: The sweet spot: defining virus-sialic acid interactions.
abstract: Viral infections are initiated by attachment of the virus to host cell surface receptors, including sialic acid-containing glycans. It is now possible to rapidly identify specific glycan receptors using glycan array screening, to define atomic-level structures of virus-glycan complexes and to alter the glycan-binding site to determine the function of glycan engagement in viral disease. This Review highlights general principles of virus-glycan interactions and provides specific examples of sialic acid binding by viruses with stalk-like attachment proteins, including influenza virus, reovirus, adenovirus and rotavirus. Understanding virus-glycan interactions is essential to combating viral infections and designing improved viral vectors for therapeutic applications.
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. [2] Elizabeth B. Lamb Center for Pediatric Research, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. [3].
authors.forename: Jennifer E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Stencel-Baerenwald
authors.affiliation: 1] Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry, University of Tubingen, 72076 Tubingen, Germany. [2] Institute of Complex Systems (ICS.6), Forschungszentrum Julich, 52425 Julich, Germany. [3].
authors.forename: Kerstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Reiss
authors.affiliation: 1] Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry, University of Tubingen, 72076 Tubingen, Germany. [2] Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK.
authors.forename: Dirk M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Reiter
authors.affiliation: 1] Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry, University of Tubingen, 72076 Tubingen, Germany. [2] Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, USA.
authors.forename: Thilo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stehle
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. [2] Elizabeth B. Lamb Center for Pediatric Research, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. [3] Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, USA.
authors.forename: Terence S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Dermody
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000378:metabolism*; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism*; D011991:Receptors, Virus / Q000378:metabolism; D013045:Species Specificity; D053585:Virus Attachment; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D014780:Viruses / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D011134:Polysaccharides; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D011991:Receptors, Virus; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid