Identification of a second major site for CD46 binding in the hemagglutinin protein from a laboratory strain of measles virus (MV): potential consequences for wild-type MV infection.

Natural or wild-type (wt) measles virus (MV) infection in vivo which is restricted to humans and certain monkeys represents an enigma in terms of receptor usage. Although wt MV is known to use the protein SLAM (CD150) as a cell receptor, many human tissues, including respiratory epithelium in which the infection initiates, are SLAM negative. These tissues are CD46 positive, but wt MV strains, unlike vaccinal and laboratory MV strains, are not thought to use CD46 as a receptor. We have identified a novel CD46 binding site at residues S548 and F549, in the hemagglutinin (H) protein from a laboratory MV strain, which is also present in wt H proteins. Our results suggest that although wt MV interacts with SLAM with high affinity, it also possesses the capacity to interact with CD46 with low affinity.