The HDL-transporting scavenger receptor B1 promotes viral infection through endolysosomal acidification.

Publication date: Jun 20, 2025

Virus infections pose a continuous threat to human health and can result in millions of deaths per year. SARS-CoV-2 infection has been linked to the high-affinity high-density lipoprotein (HDL) receptor scavenger receptor class B, type 1 (SR-B1). Mechanisms by which SR-B1 supports SARS-CoV-2 infection and replication, as well as the breadth of viruses that exploit this receptor, are incompletely defined. In evaluating the role of SR-B1 in the biology of infection with SARS-CoV-2, influenza A virus, and vesicular stomatitis virus, we show that SR-B1 chemical inhibition or knockout adversely affects infection for these viruses. Inhibiting SR-B1 results in lack of acidification in the endolysosomal compartment and entrapment of SARS-CoV-2 in endosomal-lysosomal vesicles. These findings together indicate that SR-B1, and possibly HDL, is critical for successful SARS-CoV-2 trafficking through a pH-dependent vesicular entry pathway. Our work provides insights into how SR-B1 can impact viral infection in human lung cells.

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Concepts Keywords
Knockout Biochemistry
Lipoprotein Biological sciences
Scavenger Cell biology
Successful Microbiology
Virus Natural sciences
Viral microbiology
Virology

Semantics

Type Source Name
disease MESH viral infection
disease MESH SARS-CoV-2 infection
pathway REACTOME SARS-CoV-2 Infection
disease IDO replication
disease IDO role
disease MESH infection
drug DRUGBANK Influenza A virus
disease IDO cell

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