A chicken influenza virus recognizes fucosylated α2,3 sialoglycan receptors on the epithelial cells lining upper respiratory tracts of chickens

Influenza viruses recognize sialoglycans as receptors. Although viruses isolated form chickens preferentially bind to sialic acid alpha 2,3 galactose (SA alpha 2,3Gal) glycans as do those of ducks, chickens were not experimentally infected with viruses isolated from ducks. A chicken influenza virus, A/chicken/Ibaraki/1/ 2005 (H5N2) (Ck/IBR) bound to fucose-branched SAa2,3Gal glycans, whereas the binding towards linear SAa2,3Gal glycans was weak. On the epithelial cells of the upper respiratory tracts of chickens, fucose-branched SA alpha 2,3Gal glycans were detected, but not linear SA alpha 2,3Gal glycans. The growth of Ck/IBR in MDCK-FUT cells, which were genetically prepared to express fucose-branched SA alpha 2,3Gal glycans, was significantly higher than that in the parental MDCK cells. The present results indicate that fucosebranched SA alpha 2,3Gal glycans existing on the epithelial cells lining the upper respiratory tracts of chickens are critical for recognition by Ck/IBR. (c) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.