Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40871421›Full record

ArticleMicroorganisms2025

The S2 Glycoprotein Subunit Determines Intestinal Tropism in Infectious Bronchitis Virus.

Zhenkai Dai, Jing Zhang, Ying Huang, Benli Huang, Zhengzhong Xiao, Keyu Feng, Guanming Shao, Xinheng Zhang, Qingmei Xie

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Microorganisms, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Zhenkai DaiState Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry & Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
Jing ZhangState Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry & Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
Ying HuangSchool of Education, Arts, Design & Architecture, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia.
Benli HuangState Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry & Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
Zhengzhong XiaoSchool of Biology and Agriculture, Shaoguan University, Shaoguan 512005, China.
Keyu FengState Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry & Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
Guanming ShaoState Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry & Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
Xinheng ZhangState Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry & Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.ORCID 0000-0002-3232-4929
Qingmei XieState Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry & Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The molecular basis for the distinct intestinal tropism of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) strains remains poorly understood. This study identifies the S2 subunit of the spike glycoprotein as the critical determinant conferring duodenal tropism to the IBV CSL strain. Comparative pathogenesis in specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chicks revealed that the CSL strain achieved significantly higher viral titers in the duodenum compared to strains D90, PYG QX1, and XXX QX5. This duodenal replication was associated with severe epithelial inflammation, characterized by upregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-17A, IL-22, TNF-α, IFN-β, IFN-γ) and disruption of barrier integrity via downregulation of tight junction proteins (Occludin, Claudin-1, ZO-1). Crucially, reverse genetics using the non-enterotropic D90 backbone demonstrated that recombinant viruses carrying the CSL-S2 gene (rD90-ΔS/CSL and rD90-ΔS2/CSL), but not those carrying CSL-S1 (rD90-ΔS1/CSL), replicated efficiently and induced inflammation in the duodenum, phenocopying wild-type CSL. In contrast, renal tropism was independent of the S2 subunit. These findings establish the S2 subunit as both necessary and sufficient for IBV duodenal tropism, uncoupling it from renal pathogenicity. This identifies S2 as a prime molecular target for developing next-generation vaccines against intestinal IBV pathotypes.

Indexed as

avian coronavirusduodenumpoultry diseaseS2 subunitspike proteintissue tropismviral pathogenesis

Identifiers

PMID40871421
PMCPMC12388379

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.