Sialic Acid Receptors: The Key to Solving the Enigma of Zoonotic Virus Spillover

Abstract

Emerging viral diseases are a major threat to global health, and nearly two-thirds of emerging human infectious diseases are zoonotic. Most of the human epidemics and pandemics were caused by the spillover of viruses from wild mammals. Viruses that infect humans and a wide range of animals have historically caused devastating epidemics and pandemics. An in-depth understanding of the mechanisms of viral emergence and zoonotic spillover is still lacking. Receptors are major determinants of host susceptibility to viruses. Animal species sharing host cell receptors that support the binding of multiple viruses can play a key role in virus spillover and the emergence of novel viruses and their variants. Sialic acids (SAs), which are linked to glycoproteins and ganglioside serve as receptors for several human and animal viruses. In particular, influenza and coronaviruses, which represent two of the most important zoonotic threats, use SAs as cellular entry receptors. This is a comprehensive review of our current knowledge of SA receptor distribution among animal species and the range of viruses that use SAs as receptors. SA receptor tropism and the predicted natural susceptibility to viruses can inform targeted surveillance of domestic and wild animals to prevent the future emergence of zoonotic viruses.

Direct detection of humoral marker corelates of COVID-19, glycated HSA and hyperglycosylated IgG3, by MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry

“…Equivalent to the S1 subunit of SARS-CoV2 this sialic acid residue binding domain may still be partially present in this corona virus. Indeed, sialic acid binding has been postulated to be the key feature of corona virus zoonotic transfer [39]. Furthermore, so strong and specific is the spike complexes binding to sialic acid that one group has used terminally sialyated glycans as a solid phase for SARS-CoV2 capture in a lateral flow diagnostic device [40].…”

Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) Gene Delivery: Dissecting Molecular Interactions upon Cell Entry

“…SIAs are a diverse group of nine-carbon sugars that attach to the end of O-linked (serine or threonine) or N-linked (asparagine) sugar chains. Coronavirus, influenza, and other zoonotic viruses use glycan oligosaccharides terminated in SIA for cellular entry, and SIA may play an important role in crossing species barriers [ 168 ]. In parvoviruses, SIA attachment determines MVM tropism and pathogenicity [ 169 ] whereas CPV and FPV SIA attachment is not required for infection [ 170 ].…”

Enterovirus D: A Small but Versatile Species

“…Understandably, the availability of these glycans correlates with the respiratory and ocular tropism of EV-D68 and EV-D70, respectively. In the gastrointestinal tract, reports have shown a strong presence of α-2,6SAs in the buccal and ileal epithelium, and expression of α-2,3SAs in the epithelium of the colon [ 128 , 129 , 130 ].…”