Measles viruses on throat swabs from measles patients use signaling lymphocytic activation molecule (CDw150) but not CD46 as a cellular receptor

Both CD46 and signaling lymphocytic activation molecule (SLAM) have been shown to act as cellular receptors for measles virus (MV). The viruses on throat swabs from nine patients with measles in Japan were titrated on Vero cells stably expressing human SLAM. Samples from all but two patients produced numerous plaques on SLAM-expressing Vero cells, whereas none produced any plaques on Vero cells endogenously expressing CD46. The Edmonston strain of MV, which can use either CD46 or SLAM as a receptor, produced comparable titers on these two types of cells. The results strongly suggest that the viruses in the bodies of measles patients use SLAM but probably not CD46 as a cellular receptor.     

麻疹病毒受体与病毒侵入

麻疹病毒是一种具囊膜的负链RNA病毒,两种主要的囊膜蛋白血凝素蛋白(H)和膜融合蛋白(F)表达在膜表面负责病毒侵入过程中与宿主受体的结合和膜融合过程.病毒囊膜蛋白与受体的相互作用是病毒侵入宿主的关键步骤,决定了病毒感染能力、种属和组织嗜性.因此,囊膜病毒与受体的结合位点往往成为重要的抗病毒药物的靶点.目前已发现的3种麻疹病毒受体包括CD46、SLAM和Nectin-4.以下综述了麻疹病毒受体的特征及在病毒侵入中的作用、麻疹病毒H蛋白与受体的相互作用机制,为抗病毒药物设计及麻疹病毒作为肿瘤治疗性载体的应用提供理论依据.     

Adaptation of Wild-Type Measles Virus to Tissue Culture

Measles has a host range restricted to humans and monkeys in captivity. Fresh measles virus (MV) isolates replicate readily in several human and simian B-cell lines but need a period of adaptation to other types of cells. The identification of CD46 and CD150 (SLAM) as cellular receptors for MV has helped to clarify certain aspects of the immunobiology of MV infections. We have examined the properties of an MV wild-type strain grown in the epithelial cell line Vero. After adaptation, this virus expressed high levels of both the viral glycoproteins (hemagglutinin and fusion protein) but did not induce fusion (syncytia). No changes in the amino acid sequence were found in either of the viral glycoproteins. Using several approaches, the Vero-adapted virus could not be shown to interact with CD46 either in the initiation or during the course of infection. The presence of human SLAM expressed in the Vero cells rapidly gave rise to fusion and lower yields of infectious virus.     

SLAM (CD150)-independent measles virus entry as revealed by recombinant virus expressing green fluorescent protein

Wild-type measles virus (MV) strains use human signaling lymphocyte activation molecule (SLAM) as a cellular receptor, while vaccine strains such as the Edmonston strain can use both SLAM and CD46 as receptors. Although the expression of SLAM is restricted to cells of the immune system (lymphocytes, dendritic cells, and monocytes), histopathological studies with humans and experimentally infected monkeys have shown that MV also infects SLAM-negative cells, including epithelial, endothelial, and neuronal cells. In an attempt to explain these findings, we produced the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-expressing recombinant MV (IC323-EGFP) based on the wild-type IC-B strain. IC323-EGFP showed almost the same growth kinetics as the parental recombinant MV and produced large syncytia exhibiting green autofluorescence in SLAM-positive cells. Interestingly, all SLAM-negative cell lines examined also showed green autofluorescence after infection with IC323-EGFP, although the virus hardly spread from the originally infected individual cells and thus did not induce syncytia. When the number of EGFP-expressing cells after infection was taken as an indicator, the infectivities of IC323-EGFP for SLAM-negative cells were 2 to 3 logs lower than those for SLAM-positive cells. Anti-MV hemagglutinin antibody or fusion block peptide, but not anti-CD46 antibody, blocked IC323-EGFP infection of SLAM-negative cells. This infection occurred under conditions in which entry via endocytosis was inhibited. These results indicate that MV can infect a variety of cells, albeit with a low efficiency, by using an as yet unidentified receptor(s) other than SLAM or CD46, in part explaining the observed MV infection of SLAM-negative cells in vivo.     

Efficiency of measles virus entry and dissemination through different receptors

The efficiency with which different measles virus (MV) strains enter cells through the immune cell-specific protein SLAM (CD150) or other receptors, including the ubiquitous protein CD46, may influence their pathogenicity. We compared the cell entry efficiency of recombinant MV differing only in their attachment protein hemagglutinin (H). We constructed these viruses with an additional gene expressing an autofluorescent reporter protein to allow direct detection of every infected cell. A virus with a wild-type H protein entered cells through SLAM two to three times more efficiently than a virus with the H protein of the attenuated strain Edmonston, whereas cell entry efficiency through CD46 was lower. However, these subtle differences were amplified at the cell fusion stage because the wild-type H protein failed to fuse CD46-expressing cells. We also proved formally that a mutation in H protein residue 481 (asparagine to tyrosine) results in improved CD46-specific entry. To define the selective pressure exerted on that codon, we monitored its evolution in different H protein backgrounds and found that several passages in CD46-expressing Vero cells were necessary to shift it in the majority of the MV RNA. To verify the importance of these observations for human infections, we examined MV entry into peripheral blood mononuclear cells and observed that viruses with asparagine 481 H proteins infect these cells more efficiently.     

Distinct kinetics for binding of the CD46 and SLAM receptors to overlapping sites in the measles virus hemagglutinin protein

Measles virus (MV) is a human pathogen using two distinct cell surface receptors for entry into host cells. We present here a comparative analysis for binding of the MV receptors CD46 and SLAM to the measles virus hemagglutinin protein (MVH, Edmonston strain). Soluble monomeric and dimeric MVH variants were prepared in mammalian cells and their conformation assessed using a panel of monoclonal antibodies. The two receptor molecules specifically bound to the MVH protein with distinct binding modes. The association rate (k(a)) for SLAM binding to MVH was very low ( approximately 3000 m(-1)s(-1)), about 20 times lower that the k(a) determined for CD46 binding. However, SLAM bound tighter to the virus protein than CD46, as revealed by a 5-fold lower dissociation rate (k(d), approximately 1.5 x 10(-3) s(-1)). These data suggest that the SLAM receptor binds to a less accessible and more hydrophobic surface on MVH than the CD46 receptor, as illustrated in a binding model. Despite the differences in kinetics, receptor competition binding experiments revealed that they recognize overlapping sites in MVH. Indeed, a panel of anti-MVH monoclonal antibodies equally inhibited binding of both receptor molecules. The similar immune reactivity of the two receptor binding sites suggests that the shift in receptor usage by MV may not be driven by immune responses.     

Identification of a cytoplasmic Tyr-X-X-Leu motif essential for down regulation of the human cell receptor CD46 in persistent measles virus infection.

To investigate the sequence requirements for measles virus (MV)-induced receptor down regulation, we transfected the human CD46 gene into simian cells persistently infected by the Biken strain of MV. Surface expression of CD46 is drastically reduced in these cells. Deletion analysis has shown that the juxtamembrane region of the CD46 cytoplasmic domain is essential for down regulation. Deleting a Tyr-Arg-Tyr-Leu sequence in this region or changing these residues to Ala prevents CD46 down regulation from the infected cell surface. Alanine-scanning mutagenesis has identified two amino acid residues, Tyr and Leu, forming a Tyr-X-X-Leu motif critical for CD46 down regulation. Mutations that prevent CD46 down regulation enhance syncytium formation. These results indicate that CD46 down regulation limits the cytopathic effects in a persistent MV infection and that CD46 down regulation requires a cytoplasmic Tyr-X-X-Leu sequence which resembles known motifs for membrane protein trafficking and receptor signalling.     

Characterization of a region involved in binding of measles virus H protein and its receptor SLAM (CD150)

Signaling lymphocyte activation molecule (SLAM; also known as CD150) is a newly identified cellular receptor for measles virus (MV). MV Hemagglutinin protein (H) mediates MV entry into host cells by specifically binding to SLAM. Amino acid 27-135 of SLAM was previously shown to be the functional domain to interact with H and used to screen a 10-mer phage display peptide library in this study. After four rounds of screening and sequence analysis, the deduced amino acid sequence of screened peptides SGFDPLITHA and SDWDPLFTHK showed to be highly homologous with amino acid 429-438 of MV H (SGFGPLITHG). Peptides SGFDPLITHA and SDWDPLFTHK specifically inhibited binding of H to SLAM and further inhibition of MV infection suggests that these peptides can be developed to MV blocking reagents and amino acid 429-438 in H protein is functionally involved in receptor binding and may constitute part of the receptor-binding determinants on H protein.     

The morbillivirus receptor SLAM (CD150)

Morbilliviruses are highly contagious pathogens that cause some of the most devastating viral diseases of humans and animals, including measles virus (MV), canine distemper virus (CDV), and rinderpest virus (RPV). They replicate mainly in lymphoid organs throughout the body and cause severe immunosuppression accompanied with lymphopenia. We have recently shown that human, canine, and bovine signaling lymphocyte activation molecules (SLAMs; also known as CD150) act as cellular receptors for MV, CDV, and RPV, respectively. In these three morbilliviruses, all strains examined were shown to use SLAMs of their respective host species, and laboratory strains passaged on SLAM-negative cells were found to use, besides SLAM, alternative receptors, such as human CD46 for the Edmonston strain of MV. The use of SLAM as a receptor may be a property common to most, if not all, of the members of morbilliviruses. Human SLAM is a membrane glycoprotein selectively expressed on the cells of the immune system (immature thymocytes, activated lymphocytes, activated monocytes, and mature dendritic cells) and seems to mediate lymphocyte activation and to control interferon-gamma production. The destruction and/or impairment of infected SLAM-positive cells may be a mechanism for the immunosuppression induced by morbilliviruses, but other mechanisms may be also involved.     

The Measles Virus Hemagglutinin β-Propeller Head β4-β5 Hydrophobic Groove Governs Functional Interactions with Nectin-4 and CD46 but Not Those with the Signaling Lymphocytic Activation Molecule

Wild-type measles virus (MV) strains use the signaling lymphocytic activation molecule (SLAM; CD150) and the adherens junction protein nectin-4 (poliovirus receptor-like 4 [PVRL4]) as receptors. Vaccine MV strains have adapted to use ubiquitous membrane cofactor protein (MCP; CD46) in addition. Recently solved cocrystal structures of the MV attachment protein (hemagglutinin [H]) with each receptor indicate that all three bind close to a hydrophobic groove located between blades 4 and 5 (β4-β5 groove) of the H protein β-propeller head. We used this structural information to focus our analysis of the functional footprints of the three receptors on vaccine MV H. We mutagenized this protein and tested the ability of individual mutants to support cell fusion through each receptor. The results highlighted a strong overlap between the functional footprints of nectin-4 and CD46 but not those of SLAM. A soluble form of nectin-4 abolished vaccine MV entry in nectin-4- and CD46-expressing cells but only reduced entry through SLAM. Analyses of the binding kinetics of an H mutant with the three receptors revealed that a single substitution in the β4-β5 groove drastically reduced nectin-4 and CD46 binding while minimally altering SLAM binding. We also generated recombinant viruses and analyzed their infections in cells expressing individual receptors. Introduction of a single substitution into the hydrophobic pocket affected entry through both nectin-4 and CD46 but not through SLAM. Thus, while nectin-4 and CD46 interact functionally with the H protein β4-β5 hydrophobic groove, SLAM merely covers it. This has implications for vaccine and antiviral strategies.     

Morbilliviruses use signaling lymphocyte activation molecules (CD150) as cellular receptors

Morbilliviruses comprise measles virus, canine distemper virus, rinderpest virus, and several other viruses that cause devastating human and animal diseases accompanied by severe immunosuppression and lymphopenia. Recently, we have shown that human signaling lymphocyte activation molecule (SLAM) is a cellular receptor for measles virus. In this study, we examined whether canine distemper and rinderpest viruses also use canine and bovine SLAMs, respectively, as cellular receptors. The Onderstepoort vaccine strain and two B95a (marmoset B cell line)-isolated strains of canine distemper virus caused extensive cytopathic effects in normally resistant CHO (Chinese hamster ovary) cells after expression of canine SLAM. The Ako vaccine strain of rinderpest virus produced strong cytopathic effects in bovine SLAM-expressing CHO cells. The data on entry with vesicular stomatitis virus pseudotypes bearing measles, canine distemper, or rinderpest virus envelope proteins were consistent with development of cytopathic effects in SLAM-expressing CHO cell clones after infection with the respective viruses, confirming that SLAM acts at the virus entry step (as a cellular receptor). Furthermore, most measles, canine distemper, and rinderpest virus strains examined could any use of the human, canine, and bovine SLAMs to infect cells. Our findings suggest that the use of SLAM as a cellular receptor may be a property common to most, if not all, morbilliviruses and explain the lymphotropism and immunosuppressive nature of morbilliviruses.     

Identification of a second major site for CD46 binding in the hemagglutinin protein from a laboratory strain of measles virus (MV): potential consequences for wild-type MV infection

Natural or wild-type (wt) measles virus (MV) infection in vivo which is restricted to humans and certain monkeys represents an enigma in terms of receptor usage. Although wt MV is known to use the protein SLAM (CD150) as a cell receptor, many human tissues, including respiratory epithelium in which the infection initiates, are SLAM negative. These tissues are CD46 positive, but wt MV strains, unlike vaccinal and laboratory MV strains, are not thought to use CD46 as a receptor. We have identified a novel CD46 binding site at residues S548 and F549, in the hemagglutinin (H) protein from a laboratory MV strain, which is also present in wt H proteins. Our results suggest that although wt MV interacts with SLAM with high affinity, it also possesses the capacity to interact with CD46 with low affinity.     

A Single Amino Acid Change in the Hemagglutinin Protein of Measles Virus Determines Its Ability To Bind CD46 and Reveals Another Receptor on Marmoset B Cells

This paper provides evidence for a measles virus receptor other than CD46 on transformed marmoset and human B cells. We first showed that most tissues of marmosets are missing the SCR1 domain of CD46, which is essential for the binding of Edmonston measles virus, a laboratory strain that has been propagated in Vero monkey kidney cells. In spite of this deletion, the common marmoset was shown to be susceptible to infections by wild-type isolates of measles virus, although they did not support Edmonston measles virus production. As one would expect from these results, measles virus could not be propagated in owl monkey or marmoset kidney cell lines, but surprisingly, both a wild-type isolate (Montefiore 89) and the Edmonston laboratory strain of measles virus grew efficiently in B95-8 marmoset B cells. In addition, antibodies directed against CD46 had no effect on wild-type infections of marmoset B cells and only partially inhibited the replication of the Edmonston laboratory strain in the same cells. A direct binding assay with insect cells expressing the hemagglutinin (H) proteins of either the Edmonston or Montefiore 89 measles virus strains was used to probe the receptors on these B cells. Insect cells expressing Edmonston H but not the wild-type H bound to rodent cells with CD46 on their surface. On the other hand, both the Montefiore 89 H and Edmonston H proteins adhered to marmoset and human B cells. Most wild-type H proteins have asparagine residues at position 481 and can be converted to a CD46-binding phenotype by replacement of the residue with tyrosine. Similarly, the Edmonston H protein did not bind CD46 when its Tyr481 was converted to asparagine. However, this mutation did not affect the ability of Edmonston H to bind marmoset and human B cells. The preceding results provide evidence, through the use of a direct binding assay, that a second receptor for measles virus is present on primate B cells.     

CD150 (SLAM) is a receptor for measles virus but is not involved in viral contact-mediated proliferation inhibition

Measles virus (MV) interacts with cellular receptors on the surface of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) which mediate virus binding and uptake. Simultaneously, the direct contact of the viral glycoproteins with the cell surface induces a negative signal blocking progression to the S phase of the cell cycle, resulting in a pronounced proliferation inhibition. We selected a monoclonal antibody (MAb 5C6) directed to the surface of highly MV-susceptible B cells (B95a), which inhibits binding to and infection of cells with MV wild-type and vaccine strains. By screening a retroviral cDNA library from human splenocytes (ViraPort; Stratagene) with this antibody, we cloned and identified the recognized molecule as signaling lymphocytic activation molecule (SLAM; CD150), which is identical to the MV receptor recently found by H. Tatsuo et al. (Nature 406:893-897, 2000). After infection of cells, and after surface contact with MV envelope proteins, SLAM is downregulated from the cell surface of activated PBL and cell lines. Although anti-SLAM and/or anti-CD46 antibodies block virus binding, they do not interfere with the contact-mediated proliferation inhibition. In addition, the cell-type-specific expression of SLAM does not correlate with the sensitivity of cells for proliferation inhibition. The data indicate that proliferation inhibition induced by MV contact is independent of the presence or absence of the virus-binding receptors SLAM and CD46.     

Altered interaction of the matrix protein with the cytoplasmic tail of hemagglutinin modulates measles virus growth by affecting virus assembly and cell-cell fusion

Clinical isolates of measles virus (MV) use signaling lymphocyte activation molecule (SLAM) as a cellular receptor, whereas vaccine and laboratory strains may utilize the ubiquitously expressed CD46 as an additional receptor. MVs also infect, albeit inefficiently, SLAM(-) cells, via a SLAM- and CD46-independent pathway. Our previous study with recombinant chimeric viruses revealed that not only the receptor-binding hemagglutinin (H) but also the matrix (M) protein of the Edmonston vaccine strain can confer on an MV clinical isolate the ability to grow well in SLAM(-) Vero cells. Two substitutions (P64S and E89K) in the M protein which are present in many vaccine strains were found to be responsible for the efficient growth of recombinant virus in Vero cells. Here we show that the P64S and E89K substitutions allow a strong interaction of the M protein with the cytoplasmic tail of the H protein, thereby enhancing the assembly of infectious particles in Vero cells. These substitutions, however, are not necessarily advantageous for MVs, as they inhibit SLAM-dependent cell-cell fusion, thus reducing virus growth in SLAM(+) B-lymphoblastoid B95a cells. When the cytoplasmic tail of the H protein is deleted, a virus with an M protein possessing the P64S and E89K substitutions no longer grows well in Vero cells yet causes cell-cell fusion and replicates efficiently in B95a cells. These results reveal a novel mechanism of adaptation and attenuation of MV in which the altered interaction of the M protein with the cytoplasmic tail of the H protein modulates MV growth in different cell types.     

Wild-type measles virus with the hemagglutinin protein of the edmonston vaccine strain retains wild-type tropism in macaques

A major difference between vaccine and wild-type strains of measles virus (MV) in vitro is the wider cell specificity of vaccine strains, resulting from the receptor usage of the hemagglutinin (H) protein. Wild-type H proteins recognize the signaling lymphocyte activation molecule (SLAM) (CD150), which is expressed on certain cells of the immune system, whereas vaccine H proteins recognize CD46, which is ubiquitously expressed on all nucleated human and monkey cells, in addition to SLAM. To examine the effect of the H protein on the tropism and attenuation of MV, we generated enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-expressing recombinant wild-type MV strains bearing the Edmonston vaccine H protein (MV-EdH) and compared them to EGFP-expressing wild-type MV strains. In vitro, MV-EdH replicated in SLAM(+) as well as CD46(+) cells, including primary cell cultures from cynomolgus monkey tissues, whereas the wild-type MV replicated only in SLAM(+) cells. However, in macaques, both wild-type MV and MV-EdH strains infected lymphoid and respiratory organs, and widespread infection of MV-EdH was not observed. Flow cytometric analysis indicated that SLAM(+) lymphocyte cells were infected preferentially with both strains. Interestingly, EGFP expression of MV-EdH in tissues and lymphocytes was significantly weaker than that of the wild-type MV. Taken together, these results indicate that the CD46-binding activity of the vaccine H protein is important for determining the cell specificity of MV in vitro but not the tropism in vivo. They also suggest that the vaccine H protein attenuates MV growth in vivo.     

Recombinant wild-type and edmonston strain measles viruses bearing heterologous H proteins: role of H protein in cell fusion and host cell specificity

Wild-type measles virus (MV) isolated from B95a cells has a restricted host cell specificity and hardly replicates in Vero cells, whereas the laboratory strain Edmonston (Ed) replicates in a variety of cell types including Vero cells. To investigate the role of H protein in the differential MV host cell specificity and cell fusion activity, H proteins of wild-type MV (IC-B) and Ed were coexpressed with the F protein in Vero cells. Cell-cell fusion occurred in Vero cells when Ed H protein, but not IC-B H protein, was expressed. To analyze the role of H protein in the context of viral infection, a recombinant IC-B virus bearing Ed H protein (IC/Ed-H) and a recombinant Ed virus bearing IC-B H protein (Ed/IC-H) were generated from cloned cDNAs. IC/Ed-H replicated efficiently in Vero cells and induced small syncytia in Vero cells, indicating that Ed H protein conferred replication ability in Vero cells on IC/Ed-H. On the other hand, Ed/IC-H also replicated well in Vero cells and induced small syncytia, although parental Ed induced large syncytia in Vero cells. These results indicated that an MV protein(s) other than H protein was likely involved in determining cell fusion and host cell specificity of MV in the case of our recombinants. SLAM (CDw150), a recently identified cellular receptor for wild-type MV, was not expressed in Vero cells, and a monoclonal antibody against CD46, a cellular receptor for Ed, did not block replication or syncytium formation of Ed/IC-H in Vero cells. It is therefore suggested that Ed/IC-H entered Vero cells through another cellular receptor.