Sialic acid-containing receptors

Sialic acid-containing receptors are the primary cell surface molecules that facilitate the entry of Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) into host cells, particularly cancer cells [1, 5, 15]. These receptors consist of various glycoproteins and glycolipids that terminate in sialic acid residues, with a notable preference for α2,6-linked and α2,3-linked sialic acids [1, 12, 15]. In the context of oncolytic virotherapy, the overexpression of these sialylated glycans on the surface of many tumor types allows NDV to selectively bind and infect cancer cells [12, 14]. The viral Hemagglutinin-Neuraminidase (HN) protein mediates this attachment, which subsequently triggers the viral Fusion (F) protein to enable membrane fusion and delivery of the viral genome [3, 15, 30]. While sialic acids are ubiquitous, their altered glycosylation patterns in malignancy make them a critical target for NDV-based therapies [12, 14]. The interaction between the virus and these receptors is a key determinant of the virus's oncolytic potential and its ability to induce immunogenic cell death [5, 15].

Other names

α2,6-linked sialic acidα2,3-linked sialic acidN-acetylneuraminic acid receptorsSialylated glycansNewcastle Disease Virus receptorsSialylated glycoproteinsSialylated glycolipids

The Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) Hemagglutinin-Neuraminidase (HN) protein binds to sialic acid residues on the host cell surface, which triggers a conformational change in the viral Fusion (F) protein, leading to membrane fusion and viral entry [3, 15, 30].