Identification of Chicken CD74 as a Novel Cellular Attachment Receptor for Infectious Bursal Disease Virus in Bursa B Lymphocytes

Abstract

CD74 plays a pivotal role in the correct folding and functional stability of major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC-II) molecules and in the presentation of antigenic peptides, acting as a regulatory factor in the antigen presentation process. In our study, we demonstrate a novel role of CD74 during IBDV infection, showing that chicken CD74 plays a significant role in IBDV binding to target B cells by interacting with the viral VP2 protein. This is the first report demonstrating that CD74 is involved as a novel attachment receptor in the IBDV life cycle in target B cells, thus contributing new insight into host-pathogen interactions.