SEBASTIEN NISOLE’S WORK PUBLISHED IN « EMERGING MICROBES & INFECTIONS » (IF= 19.56)
In an article published in “Emerging Microbes & Infections” (IF= 19.56), Sébastien Nisole and his collaborators investigated the cutaneous tropism of West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV), two emerging arboviruses transmitted by mosquitoes.
This work revealed that, although phylogenetically close, these two flaviviruses do not infect the same cells when they enter the skin following a bite. Specifically, and unlike WNV, USUV is able to infect Langerhans cells, which are the main immune cells of the epidermis. If USUV is able to enter and replicate in these cells, it is because it hijacks the function of an important antiviral protein, called langerin. This discovery illustrates the mechanisms developed by some emerging viruses to bypass the host’s defenses.
