Gultom, Mitra LovelinMitra LovelinGultomKratzel, AnnikaAnnikaKratzelPortmann, JasmineJasminePortmannStalder, HanspeterHanspeterStalderChanfon Bätzner, AstridAstridChanfon BätznerGantenbein, HansHansGantenbeinGurtner, CorinneCorinneGurtnerEbert, NadineNadineEbertGad, Hans HenrikHans HenrikGadHartmann, RuneRuneHartmannPosthaus, HorstHorstPosthausZanolari, PatrikPatrikZanolariPfaender, StephanieStephaniePfaenderThiel, Volker EarlVolker EarlThielDijkman, RonaldRonaldDijkman0000-0003-0320-27432024-10-112024-10-112022-06-20https://boris-portal.unibe.ch/handle/20.500.12422/85734In 2012, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) emerged in Saudi Arabia and was mostly associated with severe respiratory illness in humans. Dromedary camels are the zoonotic reservoir for MERS-CoV. To investigate the biology of MERS-CoV in camelids, we developed a well-differentiated airway epithelial cell (AEC) culture model for Llama glama and Camelus bactrianus. Histological characterization revealed progressive epithelial cellular differentiation with well-resemblance to autologous ex vivo tissues. We demonstrate that MERS-CoV displays a divergent cell tropism and replication kinetics profile in both AEC models. Furthermore, we observed that in the camelid AEC models MERS-CoV replication can be inhibited by both type I and III interferons (IFNs). In conclusion, we successfully established camelid AEC cultures that recapitulate the in vivo airway epithelium and reflect MERS-CoV infection in vivo. In combination with human AEC cultures, this system allows detailed characterization of the molecular basis of MERS-CoV cross-species transmission in respiratory epithelium.en500 - Science::570 - Life sciences; biology600 - Technology::610 - Medicine & health600 - Technology::630 - Agriculturearticle10.48350/1708033572586510.1038/s41598-022-13777-y