Research Progress on S and HE Proteins of Bovine Coronaviruses
Bovine coronavirus(BCoV)is a pathogenic agent that causes diarrhoea in newborn calves,respiratory infections in cattle and winter dysentery in adult cattle,and is mainly transmitted by faecal-oral infection and respiratory aerosols.Studies have shown that BCoV can persist in subclinically infected adult cattle,which may explain the widespread presence of BCoV in herds and its ability to circulate over time.The prevention and control of Bovine coronavirus disease is extremely critical,as the occurrence of the disease can cause great economic losses to intensive cattle farms.The BCoV S protein contains major antigenic sites that bind to salivary acid(SA)on the host surface,and the S protein is involved in adsorption and membrane fusion between the virus and the host cells,which promotes the production of potent neutralising antibodies by the host.The BCoV HE protein has acetyl esterase activity and haemagglutination activity,and can synergise with the S protein to attach to the cell surface and initiate infection.Both S and HE proteins play important roles in the tissue or host tropism and virulence of the virus,and these roles also provide references for the further study of the pathogenesis of BCoV,and the subsequent development of vaccines and drugs.The author focuses on the molecular structure and function of the BCoV S and HE proteins,and the role of BCoV in receptor recognition based on the S and HE proteins(including the use of N-acetyl-9-O-acetylneuraminic acid as a sugar-binding receptor,and the use of human leukocyte antigen class Ⅰ molecules as a protein-binding receptor).Receptor recognition is an important determinant of Coronavirus infection and pathogenesis,and it is also one of the most important targets for host immune surveillance and human intervention strategies.Therefore,a full understanding of the structure-function and receptor recognition roles of the S and HE proteins is important for understanding the viral pathogenesis as well as for the development of antiviral drugs and vaccines.