The role of feline aminopeptidase N as a receptor for infectious bronchitis virus

Feline aminopeptidase N (fAPN) has been shown to serve as a receptor for feline, canine, porcine and human coronaviruses. Our objective was to determine if fAPN can serve as a receptor for infectious bronchitis virus (IBV). Feline kidney cells that express fAPN and hamster kidney fibroblasts that do not express fAPN were inoculated with IBV and monitored for replication by indirect fluorescent assay and confocal microscopy and in chicken embryonated eggs. The results showed that the feline cells were permissive to IBV but the hamster cells were not. The hamster cells became permissive to IBV after transfection with a fAPN cDNA suggesting that the feline APN molecule plays a role in IBV entry.