title: Synthetically derived bat influenza A-like viruses reveal a cell type- but not species-specific tropism.
abstract: Two novel influenza A-like viral genome sequences have recently been identified in Central and South American fruit bats and provisionally designated "HL17NL10" and "HL18NL11." All efforts to isolate infectious virus from bats or to generate these viruses by reverse genetics have failed to date. Recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) encoding the hemagglutinin-like envelope glycoproteins HL17 or HL18 in place of the VSV glycoprotein were generated to identify cell lines that are susceptible to bat influenza A-like virus entry. More than 30 cell lines derived from various species were screened but only a few cell lines were found to be susceptible, including Madin-Darby canine kidney type II (MDCK II) cells. The identification of cell lines susceptible to VSV chimeras allowed us to recover recombinant HL17NL10 and HL18NL11 viruses from synthetic DNA. Both influenza A-like viruses established a productive infection in MDCK II cells; however, HL18NL11 replicated more efficiently than HL17NL10 in this cell line. Unlike conventional influenza A viruses, bat influenza A-like viruses started the infection preferentially at the basolateral membrane of polarized MDCK II cells; however, similar to conventional influenza A viruses, bat influenza A-like viruses were released primarily from the apical site. The ability of HL18NL11 or HL17NL10 viruses to infect canine and human cells might reflect a zoonotic potential of these recently identified bat viruses.
authors: Institute of Virology, University Medical Center Freiburg, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany.|Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine, University of Freiburg, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany.|Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany.
authors: Étori Aguiar
authors: ÉA
authors: Moreira
authors: Division of Virology, Institute of Virology and Immunology, CH-3147 Mittelhäusern, Switzerland.
authors: Samira
authors: S
authors: Locher
authors: Institute of Virology, Philipps-University, D-35043 Marburg, Germany.
authors: Larissa
authors: L
authors: Kolesnikova
authors: Institute of Virology, University Medical Center Freiburg, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany.|Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine, University of Freiburg, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany.|Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany.
authors: Hardin
authors: H
authors: Bolte
authors: Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029.|Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029.
authors: Teresa
authors: T
authors: Aydillo
authors: Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029.|Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029.|Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029.
authors: Adolfo
authors: A
authors: García-Sastre
authors: Institute of Virology, University Medical Center Freiburg, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany; martin.schwemmle@uniklinik-freiburg.de gert.zimmer@ivi.admin.ch.
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Schwemmle
authors: Division of Virology, Institute of Virology and Immunology, CH-3147 Mittelhäusern, Switzerland; martin.schwemmle@uniklinik-freiburg.de gert.zimmer@ivi.admin.ch.
authors: Gert
authors: G
authors: Zimmer
keywords: bat; chiroptera; emerging viruses; influenza; orthomyxoviridae