Co‐localization of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS‐CoV) and dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 in the respiratory tract and lymphoid tissues of pigs and llamas
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Author
Te, Nigeer
Vergara‐Alert, Júlia
Lehmbecker, Annika
Pérez, Mónica
Haagmans, Bart L.
Baumgärtner, Wolfgang
Publication date
2018-12-06ISSN
1865-1674
Abstract
This study investigated the co‐localization of the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS‐CoV) and its receptor dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 (DPP4) by immunohistochemistry (IHC) across respiratory and lymphoid organs of experimentally MERS‐CoV infected pigs and llamas. Also, scanning electron microscopy was performed to assess the ciliary integrity of respiratory epithelial cells in both species. In pigs, on day 2 post‐inoculation (p.i.), DPP4‐MERS‐CoV co‐localization was detected in medial turbinate epithelium. On day 4 p.i., the virus/receptor co‐localized in frontal and medial turbinate epithelial cells in pigs, and epithelial cells distributed unevenly through the whole nasal cavity and in the cervical lymph node in llamas. MERS‐CoV viral nucleocapsid was mainly detected in upper respiratory tract sites on days 2 and 4 p.i. in pigs and day 4 p.i. in llamas. No MERS‐CoV was detected on day 24 p.i. in any tissue by IHC. While pigs showed severe ciliary loss in the nasal mucosa both on days 2 and 4 p.i. and moderate loss in the trachea on days 4 and 24 p.i., ciliation of respiratory organs in llamas was not significantly affected. Obtained data confirm the role of DPP4 for MERS‐CoV entry in respiratory epithelial cells of llamas. Notably, several nasal epithelial cells in pigs were found to express viral antigen but not DPP4, suggesting the possible existence of other molecule/s facilitating virus entry or down regulation of DPP4 upon infection.
Document Type
Article
Document version
Published version
Language
English
Subject (CDU)
619 - Veterinary science
Pages
11
Publisher
Wiley
Is part of
Transboundary and Emerging Diseases
Citation
Te, Nigeer, Júlia Vergara‐Alert, Annika Lehmbecker, Mónica Pérez, Bart L. Haagmans, Wolfgang Baumgärtner, Albert Bensaid, and Joaquim Segalés. 2018. "Co‐Localization Of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus ( MERS ‐Cov) And Dipeptidyl Peptidase‐4 In The Respiratory Tract And Lymphoid Tissues Of Pigs And Llamas". Transboundary And Emerging Diseases 66 (2): 831-841. Wiley. doi:10.1111/tbed.13092.
Grant agreement number
EC/FP7/115760/EU/Zoonotic Anticipation and Preparedness Initiative/ZAPI
Program
Sanitat Animal
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
- ARTICLES CIENTÍFICS [2838]
Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/