Abstract Sialic acids (SAs) are abundantly expressed on vertebrate cell surfaces and are widely recognized as key viral attachment factors , particularly for influenza viruses . However, their role remains understudied in other orthomyxoviruses, such as thogoto and quaranja viruses , which are tick-borne viruses sporadically infecting humans. Enzymatic removal of SAs increased the infectivity of Thogoto and Dhori viruses , as well as pseudotypes carrying the glycoproteins of Oz, Sinu, and Wellfleet Bay viruses . A similar effect on pseudotype infectivity was observed following the binding of specific lectins to SAs. These findings indicate that, in contrast to influenza viruses, SAs act as a barrier to the entry of these orthomyxoviruses . Experimental evolution of the Sinu and Wellfleet Bay virus glycoproteins revealed point mutations that partially overcame this barrier . Given the abundance of sialic acids in mucosal tissues, we speculate that SAs may contribute to the inabili...
Media Monitoring for Signals about Emerging Threats