英國《自然》雜志網(wǎng)絡(luò)版3月13日刊登報告說,，荷蘭研究人員找到了近來廣受關(guān)注的新型冠狀病毒入侵人體的途徑,，這將有助開發(fā)防治新型冠狀病毒感染的新方法。
荷蘭伊拉斯謨醫(yī)療中心等機(jī)構(gòu)研究人員報告說,，在人體呼吸道一些細(xì)胞的表面存在一種名為“二肽基肽酶-4”的蛋白質(zhì),，它就是新型冠狀病毒感染的受體，即病毒會與這種蛋白質(zhì)結(jié)合,，以它們?yōu)?ldquo;登陸點(diǎn)”附著到呼吸道細(xì)胞上,，隨之進(jìn)一步侵入和感染人體。
研究顯示,，如果使用特定抗體影響細(xì)胞表面的這種蛋白質(zhì),，新型冠狀病毒在失去“登陸點(diǎn)”后，就無法再感染這些細(xì)胞,；相反,，如果改造一些本來不受新型冠狀病毒感染的細(xì)胞，使其表面出現(xiàn)這種蛋白質(zhì),，這些細(xì)胞就會開始受到新型冠狀病毒感染,。
這一發(fā)現(xiàn)有助于開發(fā)防治新型冠狀病毒感染的方法，但也揭示這種病毒有較大的潛在威脅,。因?yàn)榈鞍踪|(zhì)“二肽基肽酶-4”不僅存在于人體細(xì)胞中,，還存在于蝙蝠和其他許多動物體內(nèi)，新型冠狀病毒可能利用這種蛋白質(zhì)在多個物種之間持續(xù)傳播,。目前有觀點(diǎn)認(rèn)為,，本次新型冠狀病毒疫情的源頭就是蝙蝠。
新型冠狀病毒疫情自去年發(fā)生以來,，全球已報告15個感染病例,，其中9人死亡。這種病毒與曾引起巨大恐慌的“非典”(SARS)病毒同屬冠狀病毒,，因此廣受關(guān)注,。但基因分析顯示，與新型冠狀病毒最接近的是2008年在荷蘭發(fā)現(xiàn)的一種蝙蝠冠狀病毒,，而不是SARS病毒,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
doi:10.1038/nature12005
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Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 is a functional receptor for the emerging human coronavirus-EMC
V. Stalin Raj, Huihui Mou, Saskia L. Smits, Dick H. W. Dekkers, Marcel A. Müller, Ronald Dijkman, Doreen Muth, Jeroen A. A. Demmers, Ali Zaki, Ron A. M. Fouchier, Volker Thiel, Christian Drosten, Peter J. M. Rottier, Albert D. M. E. Osterhaus, Berend Jan Bosch & Bart L. Haagmans
Most human coronaviruses cause mild upper respiratory tract disease but may be associated with more severe pulmonary disease in immunocompromised individuals1. However, SARS coronavirus caused severe lower respiratory disease with nearly 10% mortality and evidence of systemic spread2. Recently, another coronavirus (human coronavirus-Erasmus Medical Center (hCoV-EMC)) was identified in patients with severe and sometimes lethal lower respiratory tract infection3, 4. Viral genome analysis revealed close relatedness to coronaviruses found in bats5. Here we identify dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4; also known as CD26) as a functional receptor for hCoV-EMC. DPP4 specifically co-purified with the receptor-binding S1 domain of the hCoV-EMC spike protein from lysates of susceptible Huh-7 cells. Antibodies directed against DPP4 inhibited hCoV-EMC infection of primary human bronchial epithelial cells and Huh-7 cells. Expression of human and bat (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) DPP4 in non-susceptible COS-7 cells enabled infection by hCoV-EMC. The use of the evolutionarily conserved DPP4 protein from different species as a functional receptor provides clues about the host range potential of hCoV-EMC. In addition, it will contribute critically to our understanding of the pathogenesis and epidemiology of this emerging human coronavirus, and may facilitate the development of intervention strategies.
