Abstract
The Bunyaviridae is the largest family of RNA viruses, with over 350 members worldwide. Several of these viruses cause severe diseases in livestock and humans. With an increasing number and frequency of outbreaks, bunyaviruses represent a growing threat to public health and agricultural productivity globally. Yet, the receptors, cellular factors and endocytic pathways used by these emerging pathogens to infect cells remain largely uncharacterized. The focus of this review is on the early steps of bunyavirus infection, from virus binding to penetration from endosomes. We address current knowledge and advances for members from each genus in the Bunyaviridae family regarding virus receptors, uptake, intracellular trafficking and fusion.
Highlights
The Bunyaviridae is a large family of RNA viruses, which comprises five genera (Hantavirus, Nairovirus, Orthobunyavirus, Phlebovirus and Tospovirus) [1]
It is apparent that hundreds of cellular factors with a wide range of functions are involved in bunyavirus entry and penetration into cells
Though each isolate in the family most likely presents specificities, requirements and distinct mechanisms for the very first steps of infection, it seems that many bunyaviruses rely on late, even if partial, endosomal maturation for infection
Summary
The Bunyaviridae is a large family of RNA viruses, which comprises five genera (Hantavirus, Nairovirus, Orthobunyavirus, Phlebovirus and Tospovirus) [1]. With over 350 identified isolates distributed worldwide, these viruses represent a global threat to livestock, agricultural productivity and human public health. Bunyaviruses are unique in the way they infect a large range of hosts, including vertebrates, invertebrates and plants. Novel genera in the family have been proposed based on the identification of new bunyavirus members. Their host range has not yet been determined [2]. The increasing frequency of bunyavirus outbreaks over the last decade makes these viruses potential emerging agents of disease. It is apparent that there is a wide variety of viruses, vectors, hosts, diseases and geographical distributions.
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