Measles virus is a morbillivirus that infects humans. Other viruses within the genus Morbillivirus include rinderpest virus, which infects cattle; peste des petits ruminants virus, which infects goats and sheep; cetacean morbillivirus, which infects dolphins and whales; canine distemper virus, which infects dogs; and phocine distemper virus, which infects seals. In recent years, morbilliviruses have also been identified in bats, pigs, and cats. These viruses infect and cause disease in their respective hosts by utilizing receptors such as the SLAM molecule expressed on immune cells and the nectin-4 molecule expressed on epithelial cells. Our research focuses on how the host range of these morbilliviruses is determined, particularly in relation to their interaction with receptors.

Main Related Publications

1. Fukuhara H, Yumoto K, Sako M, Kajikawa M, Ose T, Kawamura M, Yoda M, Chen S, Ito Y, Takeda S, Mwaba MH, Wang J, Hashiguchi T, Kamishikiryo J, Maita N, Kitatsuji C, Takeda M, Kuroki K, Maenaka K. Glycan-shielded homodimer structure and dynamical features of the canine distemper virus hemagglutinin relevant for viral entry and efficient vaccination. eLife. 2024.Link
2. Seki F, Takeda M. Novel and classical morbilliviruses: Current knowledge of three divergent morbillivirus groups. Microbiol Immunol (in press)Link
3. Yamamoto Y, Nakano S, Seki F, Shigeta Y, Ito S, Tokiwa H, Takeda M: Computational analysis reveals a critical point mutation in the N–terminal region of the signaling lymphocytic activation molecule responsible for the cross–species infection with canine distemper virus. Molecules 26:1262, 2021.Link
4. Seki F, Ohishi K, Maruyama T, Takeda M: Phocine distemper virus uses phocine and other animal SLAMs as a receptor but not human SLAM. Microbiol Immunol 64:578–583, 2020.
5. Seki F, Yamamoto Y, Fukuhara H, Ohishi K, Maruyama T, Maenaka K, Tokiwa H, Takeda M: Measles virus hemagglutinin protein establishes a specific interaction with the extreme N–terminal region of human signaling lymphocytic activation molecule to enhance infection. Front Microbiol 11:1830, 2020.
6. Takeda M, Seki F, Yamamoto Y, Nao N, Tokiwa H: Animal morbilliviruses and their cross–species transmission potential. Curr Opin Virol 41:38–45, 2020.
7. Fukuhara H, Ito Y, Sako M, Yoshida K, Seki F, Hashiguchi T, Higashibata M, Ose T, Kuroki K, Takeda M, Maenaka K: Specificity of morbillivirus hemagglutinins to recognize SLAM of different species. Viruses 11:E761, 2019.
8. Ohishi K, Maruyama T, Seki F, Takeda M: Marine Morbilliviruses: The diversity and interaction with receptors. Viruses 11:606, 2019.
9. Sakai K, Yoshikawa T, Seki F, Fukushi S, Tahara M, Nagata N, Ami Y, Mizutani T, Kurane I, Yamaguchi R, Hasegawa H, Saijo M, Komase K, Morikawa S, Takeda M: Canine distemper virus associated with a lethal outbreak in monkeys readily adapts to use human receptors. J Virol 87:7170–7175, 2013.
10. Sakai K, Nagata N, Ami Y, Seki F, Suzaki Y, Iwata–Yoshikawa N, Suzuki T, Fukushi S, Mizutani T, Yoshikawa T, Otsuki N, Kurane I, Komase K, Yamaguchi R, Hasegawa H, Saijo M, Takeda M, Morikawa S: Lethal canine distemper virus outbreak in cynomolgus monkeys in Japan in 2008. J Virol 87:1105–1114, 2013.
11. Otsuki N, Sekizuka T, Seki F, Sakai K, Kubota T, Nakatsu Y, Chen S, Fukuhara H, Maenaka K, Yamaguchi R, Kuroda M, Takeda M: Canine distemper virus with the intact C protein has the potential to replicate in human epithelial cells by using human nectin4 as a receptor. Virology 435:485–492, 2013.
12. Otsuki N, Nakatsu Y, Kubota T, Sekizuka T, Seki F, Sakai K, Kuroda M, Yamaguchi R, Takeda M: The V protein of canine distemper virus is required for virus replication in human epithelial cells. PLOS ONE 8:e82343, 2013.