Abstract
Host cell surface glycans play critical roles in influenza virus A (IVA) infection ranging from modulation of IVA attachment to membrane fusion and host tropism. Approaches for quick and sensitive profile of viral avidity toward a specific type of host cell glycan can contribute to the understanding of tropism switching among different IVA strains. Here, we developed a method based on chemoenzymatic glycan engineering to investigate the possible involvement of alpha 1-2-fucosides in WA infections. Using a truncated human fiicosyltransferase 1 (hFUT1), we created alpha 1-2-ficosides in situ on host cells to assess their influence on the host cell binding to IVA hemagglutinin and the susceptibility of host cells toward IVA-induced killing. We discovered that the newly created alpha 1-2-fucosides on host cells enhanced the infection of several human pandemic IVA subtypes either directly or indirectly. These findings suggest that glycan epitopes other than sialic acid should also be considered for assessing the human pandemic risk of this viral pathogen.
