Scientific article
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Identification of host cell surface proteins inhibiting furin dependent proteolytic processing of viral glycoproteins

Published inScientific reports, vol. 15, no. 1, 25454
Publication date2025-07-15
First online date2025-07-15
Abstract

Proteolytic cleavage by furin-like proteases is a crucial first step in the posttranslational modification of various glycoproteins found in enveloped emerging viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2 and highly pathogenic avian influenza A viruses (IAV). Here, we explored the capacity of host cell proteins identified by cell surface proximity ligation to limit the proteolytic cleavage of the SARS-CoV-2 spike and the IAV H5N1 hemagglutinin (HA). When co-expressed with recombinant SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, Prom1, Axl, and Ly75 suppress its proteolytic cleavage, whereas cleavage of HA was only reduced by Prom1. Co-immunoprecipitation assays suggest that Axl and Prom1 may form a complex with furin. Alteration of Prom1, Axl and Ly75 expression levels in Calu3 cells affected entry of SARS-CoV-2 S pseudotyped VLP and to a lesser extent, SARS-CoV-2 virions. In contrast, Prom1 levels did not affect entry of H5N1 VLPs or H5N1 virions. Our data highlight the differential capacity of SARS-CoV-2 and IAV H5N1 to cope with newly identified host restriction factors of furin activity.

Keywords
  • Furin / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus / metabolism
  • Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus / genetics
  • Proteolysis
  • SARS-CoV-2 / metabolism
  • SARS-CoV-2 / physiology
  • Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype / metabolism
  • Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus / metabolism
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism
  • Virus Internalization
  • Cell Line
  • COVID-19 / virology
  • COVID-19 / metabolism
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / metabolism
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / genetics
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Animals
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / genetics
Citation (ISO format)
WILLIAMS, Nathalia et al. Identification of host cell surface proteins inhibiting furin dependent proteolytic processing of viral glycoproteins. In: Scientific reports, 2025, vol. 15, n° 1, p. 25454. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-11164-x
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Identifiers
Additional URL for this publicationhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-11164-x
Journal ISSN2045-2322
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