Characterization of the Interaction of Lassa Fever Virus with Its Cellular Receptor α-Dystroglycan

Abstract

ABSTRACT The cellular receptor for the Old World arenaviruses Lassa fever virus (LFV) and lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) has recently been identified as α-dystroglycan (α-DG), a cell surface receptor that provides a molecular link between the extracellular matrix and the actin-based cytoskeleton. In the present study, we show that LFV binds to α-DG with high affinity in the low-nanomolar range. Recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus pseudotyped with LFV glycoprotein (GP) adopted the receptor binding characteristics of LFV and depended on α-DG for infection of cells. Mapping of the binding site of LFV on α-DG revealed that LFV binding required the same domains of α-DG that are involved in the binding of LCMV. Further, LFV was found to efficiently compete with laminin α1 and α2 chains for α-DG binding. Together with our previous studies on receptor binding of the prototypic immunosuppressive LCMV isolate LCMV clone 13, these findings indicate a high degree of conservation in the receptor binding characteristics between the highly human-pathogenic LFV and murine-immunosuppressive LCMV isolates.