TMPRSS2 Activates Hemagglutinin-Esterase Glycoprotein of Influenza C Virus

Influenza C virus (ICV) has only one kind of spike protein, the hemagglutinin-esterase (HE) glycoprotein. HE functions similarly to hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase of the influenza A and B viruses (IAV and IBV, respectively). It has a monobasic site, which is cleaved by some host enzymes. The cleavage is essential to activating the virus, but the enzyme or enzymes in the respiratory tract have not been identified. This study investigated whether the host serine proteases, transmembrane protease serine S1 member 2 (TMPRSS2) and human airway trypsin-like protease (HAT), which reportedly cleave HA of IAV/IBV, are involved in HE cleavage. We established TMPRSS2- and HAT-expressing MDCK cells (MDCK-TMPRSS2 and MDCK-HAT). ICV showed multicycle replication with HE cleavage without trypsin in MDCK-TMPRSS2 cells as well as IAV did. The HE cleavage and multicycle replication did not appear in MDCK-HAT cells infected with ICV without trypsin, while HA cleavage and multistep growth of IAV appeared in the cells. Amino acid sequences of the HE cleavage site in 352 ICV strains were completely preserved. Camostat and nafamostat suppressed the growth of ICV and IAV in human nasal surface epithelial (HNE) cells. Therefore, this study revealed that, at least, TMPRSS2 is involved in HE cleavage and suggested that nafamostat could be a candidate for therapeutic drugs for ICV infection. IMPORTANCE Influenza C virus (ICV) is a pathogen that causes acute respiratory illness, mostly in children, but there are no anti-ICV drugs. ICV has only one kind of spike protein, the hemagglutinin-esterase (HE) glycoprotein on the virion surface, which possesses receptor-binding, receptor-destroying, and membrane fusion activities. The HE cleavage is essential for the virus to be activated, but the enzyme or enzymes in the respiratory tract have not been identified. This study revealed that transmembrane protease serine S1 member 2 (TMPRSS2), and not human airway trypsin-like protease (HAT), is involved in HE cleavage. This is a novel study on the host enzymes involved in HE cleavage, and the result suggests that the host enzymes, such as TMPRSS2, may be a target for therapeutic drugs of ICV infection.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2021

Erschienen:

2021

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:95

Enthalten in:

Journal of virology - 95(2021), 21 vom: 13. Okt., Seite e0129621

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Sato, Ko [VerfasserIn]
Hayashi, Hideki [VerfasserIn]
Shimotai, Yoshitaka [VerfasserIn]
Yamaya, Mutsuo [VerfasserIn]
Hongo, Seiji [VerfasserIn]
Kawakami, Kazuyoshi [VerfasserIn]
Matsuzaki, Yoko [VerfasserIn]
Nishimura, Hidekazu [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

0FD207WKDU
Antiviral Agents
Benzamidines
Camostat
EC 3.4.21.-
EC 3.4.21.4
Esters
Guanidines
HAT
HE
Hemagglutinin esterase
Hemagglutinins, Viral
Human airway trypsin-like protease
Influenza C virus
Journal Article
Nafamostat
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Serine Endopeptidases
Serine protease
TMPRSS2
Trypsin
Viral Fusion Proteins
Viral Proteins
Y25LQ0H97D

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 17.12.2021

Date Revised 13.12.2023

published: Print-Electronic

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.1128/JVI.01296-21

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM329503863