The abstract is read at the publisher; the summary is JClub's.
Feline aminopeptidase N (fAPN) is a shared entry receptor used by multiple alphacoronaviruses, including HCoV-229E, enabling multimodal receptor recognition in feline cells.
- Why it matters: The molecular rules for how coronaviruses cross species are unclear, and cats’ close contact with humans makes them important potential hosts for spillover risk.
- What they did: The study combined structural and functional analyses to show distinct alphacoronaviruses engage fAPN via alternative binding sites, and performed animal challenge experiments with HCoV-229E in cats.
- The result: In cats, HCoV-229E inoculation produced detectable viral RNA and infectious virus in the respiratory tract without apparent clinical signs, supporting fAPN-mediated receptor compatibility across viral lineages.
The findingWhy it mattersWhat they didThe result
AI summary of the abstract · may contain errors · not medical advice · read the paper.