Morbilliviruses use signaling lymphocyte activation molecules (CD150) as cellular receptors

Morbilliviruses comprise measles virus, canine distemper virus, rinderpest virus, and several other viruses that cause devastating human and animal di seases accompanied by severe immunosuppression and lymphopenia. Recently, w e have shown that human signaling lymphocyte activation molecule (SLAM) is a cellular receptor for measles virus. In this study, we examined whether c anine distemper and rinderpest viruses also use canine and bovine SLAMs, re spectively, as cellular receptors. The Onderstepoort vaccine strain and two B95a (marmoset B cell line)-isolated strains of canine distemper virus cau sed extensive cytopathic effects in normally resistant CHO (Chinese hamster ovary) cells after expression of canine SLAP(I, The Ako vaccine strain of rinderpest virus produced strong cytopathic effects in bovine SLAM-expressi ng CHO cells. The data on entry with vesicular stomatitis virus pseudotypes bearing measles, canine distemper, or rinderpest virus envelope proteins w ere consistent with development of cytopathic effects in SLAM-expressing CH O cell clones after infection with the respective viruses, confirming that SLAM acts at the virus entry step las a cellular receptor). Furthermore, mo st measles, canine distemper, and rinderpest virus strains examined could a ny use of the human, canine, and bovine SLAMs to infect cells, Our findings suggest that the use of SLAM as a cellular receptor may be a property comm on to most, if not all, morbilliviruses and explain the lymphotropism and i mmunosuppressive nature of morbilliviruses.