Our manuscript on the species-specific utilization of nectin-4 receptors by morbilliviruses has been accepted for publication in the Journal of General Virology.

Broad permissiveness of mammalian nectin-4 orthologs for morbilliviruses: a notable exception in dolphin nectin-4

Mizuki Tominaga, Fumio Seki, Hiroki Nagata, Ayumu Hyodo, Yukiko Akahori, Yuki Kitai, Hiroshi Katoh, Makoto Takeda

In this study, we investigated how the cellular receptor nectin-4, which morbilliviruses use to enter host cells, influences viral host range. By comparing nectin-4 proteins from humans, dogs, dolphins, seals, and bats, we found that most functioned as receptors for a broad range of morbilliviruses. However, dolphin nectin-4 exhibited markedly reduced receptor activity for certain viruses, including measles virus. We further demonstrated that this difference was primarily attributable to a single amino acid substitution at position 63. These findings show that even subtle differences in highly conserved viral receptors can have a significant impact on viral infectivity and host range, providing important insights into the mechanisms underlying cross-species transmission and the emergence of infectious diseases.