A humanized MDCK cell line for the efficient isolation and propagation of human influenza viruses

• Published in: Nature microbiology Vol. 4; no. 8; pp. 1268 - 1273
• Main Authors: Takada, Kosuke, Kawakami, Chiharu, Fan, Shufang, Chiba, Shiho, Zhong, Gongxun, Gu, Chunyang, Shimizu, Kohei, Takasaki, Sara, Sakai-Tagawa, Yuko, Lopes, Tiago J. S., Dutta, Jayeeta, Khan, Zenab, Kriti, Divya, van Bakel, Harm, Yamada, Shinya, Watanabe, Tokiko, Imai, Masaki, Kawaoka, Yoshihiro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.08.2019; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 631/326/596/1578; 692/699/255/1578; Animals; Antigens, CD - metabolism; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Brief Communication; Cell Line; Dogs; Humans; Infectious Diseases; Influenza; Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype - genetics; Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype - growth & development; Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype - isolation & purification; Influenza, Human; Life Sciences; Madin Darby Canine Kidney Cells - virology; Medical Microbiology; Microbiology; Mutation; Orthomyxoviridae; Orthomyxoviridae - genetics; Orthomyxoviridae - isolation & purification; Parasitology; Receptors, Virus - genetics; Receptors, Virus - metabolism; Sialyltransferases - genetics; Sialyltransferases - metabolism; Virology; Viruses
• ISSN: 2058-5276; 2058-5276
• DOI: 10.1038/s41564-019-0433-6

Here, we developed hCK, a Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cell line that expresses high levels of human influenza virus receptors and low levels of avian virus receptors. hCK cells supported human A/H3N2 influenza virus isolation and growth much more effectively than conventional MDCK or human virus receptor-overexpressing (AX4) cells. A/H3N2 viruses propagated in hCK cells also maintained higher genetic stability than those propagated in MDCK and AX4 cells. The authors report the development of a Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cell line that is more suitable than conventional MDCK or human virus receptor-overexpressing cells for the isolation and propagation of human influenza viruses without cell culture-adaptive mutations.