Tropism of the novel human betacoronavirus lineage C virus in human ex vivo and in vitro cultures: potential transmissibility and pathogenesis in humans (abridged secondary publication)
MCW Chan1, RWY Chan1, JM Nicholls2, JSM Peiris1
1 School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong
2 Department of Pathology, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong
 
 
1. HCoV-EMC and SARS-CoV infected and productively replicated in human ex vivo lung and bronchus explants.
2. Non-ciliated bronchial epithelial cells, bronchiolar epithelial cells, and type I and type II pneumocytes are major targets for HCoV-EMC infection.
3. HCoV-EMC infection in bronchus and lung failed to induce interferon, with no inhibitory effect in suppressing HCoV-EMC infection by sialidase.