Recombination of the epsilon determinant and corneal tropism: Human adenovirus species D types 15, 29, 56, and 69.

Citation:

Singh G, Zhou X, Lee JY, Yousuf MA, Ramke M, Ismail AM, Lee JS, Robinson CM, Seto D, Dyer DW, Jones MS, Rajaiya J, Chodosh J. Recombination of the epsilon determinant and corneal tropism: Human adenovirus species D types 15, 29, 56, and 69. Virology 2015;485:452-9.

Date Published:

2015 Nov

Abstract:

Viruses within human adenovirus species D (HAdV-D) infect epithelia at essentially every mucosal site. Hypervariable loops 1 and 2 of the hexon capsid protein contain epitopes that together form the epsilon determinant for serum neutralization. We report our analyses comparing HAdV-D15, 29, 56, and the recently identified type 69, each with highly similar hexons and the same serum neutralization profile, but otherwise disparate genomes. Of these, only HAdV-D type 56 is associated with epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC), a severe infection of ocular surface epithelium and underlying corneal stroma. In the mouse adenovirus keratitis model, all four viruses induced inflammation. However, HAdV-D56 entry into human corneal epithelial cells and fibroblasts in vitro dramatically exceeded that of the other three viruses. We conclude that the hexon epsilon determinant is not a prime contributor to corneal tropism.

Last updated on 01/28/2016