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Viral infection: A key host receptor for AAV

Nature Microbiology volume 1, Article number: 15027 (2016) Cite this article

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A transmembrane protein receptor that is critical for adeno-associated virus infection has been identified through an unbiased, genome-wide screen. Its role in viral entry could potentially be harnessed to develop enhanced gene therapy vectors and better animal models of human disease.

Interest in adeno-associated virus (AAV) has surged in the past decade due to its strong clinical promise as a gene delivery vehicle, yet fundamental understanding of the virus's infectious pathway is incomplete. As viruses initiate infection by engaging specific surface receptors on the host cell, identifying these receptors is essential for understanding viral tropism, developing targeted anti-viral therapies, and harnessing viruses as therapeutics1. Prior studies in the field have indicated that many AAV serotypes initially bind primary receptors (including glycans and proteoglycans such as heparan sulfate) followed by membrane proteins as secondary receptors that facilitate internalization2. A range of secondary receptors has been reported, including the fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) for AAV2 (ref. 3) and the hepatocyte growth factor receptor (c-MET) for AAV2 (ref. 4) and AAV3 (ref. 5). However, the at times discrepant reports in the literature about receptor usage and mechanisms of viral entry underscore the need to improve our understanding of AAV infection2.

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Figure 1: The role of AAVR in AAV cellular entry.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sabrina Sun and David V. Schaffer are in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.,

    Sabrina Sun & David V. Schaffer

  2. David V. Schaffer is also in the Department of Bioengineering, the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.,

    David V. Schaffer

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  1. Sabrina Sun
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  2. David V. Schaffer
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Correspondence to David V. Schaffer.

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Sun, S., Schaffer, D. Viral infection: A key host receptor for AAV. Nat Microbiol 1, 15027 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmicrobiol.2015.27

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