Entry of Herpes Simplex Virus 1 into Epidermis and Dermal Fibroblasts Is Independent of the Scavenger Receptor MARCO

Abstract

During entry into its host cells, the human pathogen herpes simplex virus (HSV) interacts with various cellular receptors. Initially, receptor interaction can mediate cellular adsorption, followed by receptor binding that triggers viral internalization. The intriguing question is which receptors are responsible for the various steps during entry into the natural target tissues of HSV? Previously, we demonstrated the role of nectin-1 as a major receptor and that of HVEM as an alternative receptor for HSV-1 to invade murine epidermis. As MARCO has been described to promote infection in skin, we explored the predicted role of MARCO as a receptor that mediates adsorption to epithelial cells. Our infection studies of murine skin cells indicate that the absence of MARCO does not interfere with the efficiency of HSV-1 entry and that the inhibitory effect on viral adsorption by poly(I), a ligand of MARCO, is independent of MARCO.