Heparan Sulfate is a Selective Attachment Factor for the Avian Coronavirus IBV Beaudette

Abstract

Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) is a coronavirus infecting domestic fowl. It was originally isolated in the 1930s and continues to cause major problems in the poultry industry. The avian coronavirus infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) strain Beaudette is an embryo-adapted virus that has extended species tropism in cell culture. In order to understand the acquired tropism of the Beaudette strain, this study compared the S protein sequences of several IBV strains. The Beaudette strain was found to contain a putative heparan sulfate (HS)-binding site, indicating that the Beaudette virus may use HS as a selective receptor.