title: Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus shows poor replication but significant induction of antiviral responses in human monocyte-derived macrophages and dendritic cells.
abstract: In this study we assessed the ability of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) to replicate and induce innate immunity in human monocyte-derived macrophages and dendritic cells (MDDCs), and compared it with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV). Assessments of viral protein and RNA levels in infected cells showed that both viruses were impaired in their ability to replicate in these cells. Some induction of IFN-λ1, CXCL10 and MxA mRNAs in both macrophages and MDDCs was seen in response to MERS-CoV infection, but almost no such induction was observed in response to SARS-CoV infection. ELISA and Western blot assays showed clear production of CXCL10 and MxA in MERS-CoV-infected macrophages and MDDCs. Our data suggest that SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV replicate poorly in human macrophages and MDDCs, but MERS-CoV is nonetheless capable of inducing a readily detectable host innate immune response. Our results highlight a clear difference between the viruses in activating host innate immune responses in macrophages and MDDCs, which may contribute to the pathogenesis of infection.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Janne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tynell
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Veera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Westenius
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Esa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rönkkö
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, Hamilton, MT, USA.
authors.forename: Vincent J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Munster
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Krister
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Melén
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Österlund
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland.|Department of Virology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Ilkka
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Julkunen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D054357:Chemokine CXCL10 / Q000378:metabolism; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D065207:Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology*; D064547:Myxovirus Resistance Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: C114753:CXCL10 protein, human; D054357:Chemokine CXCL10; C579071:MX1 protein, human; D064547:Myxovirus Resistance Proteins; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014764:Viral Proteins