TiHo

Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover
Institute of Virology

Prof. Herrler has a long experience in the analysis of viruses that use sialic acids as a receptor-determinant for infection of cells. He showed that Influenza C virus recognizes 9-O-acetylated sialic acid and that the receptor-destroying enzyme of this virus is an acetylesterase. His team also demonstrated that N-acetyl-9-O-acetylneuraminic acid serves as a receptor determinant for infection by Bovine coronavirus and Human coronavirus OC43. Later work demonstrated that porcine Transmissible gastroenteritis virus has a sialic acid binding activity that is essential for enteropathogenicity. Recently, avian Infectious bronchitis virus was shown to use 2,3-linked sialic acid for primary attachment to cultured cells. In addition to viruses that interact with sialylated cellular receptors, his research team also analyses the glycoproteins of other RNA viruses, e.g. respiratory syncytial virus and SARS-CoV. Applying a combination of cell biology and molecular biology techniques, he made important contributions concerning the surface transport of viral glycoproteins in polarized epithelial cells. In 86 peer-reviewed publications, Prof. Herrler has proven his expertise in the research on viral glycoproteins. Over the years, he coordinated numerous research projects with success.
 
 Five recent relevant publications:

1. Zimmer, G., Rohn, M., McGregor, G. P., Schemann, M., Conzelmann, K. and Herrler G. (2003) Virokinin, a bioactive peptide of the tachykinin family, is released from the fusion protein of bovine respiratory syncytial virus. J. Biol. Chem. 278:46854 - 46861.
2. Schwegmann-Weßels, C., Al-Falah, M., Escors, D., Wang, Z., Zimmer, G., Deng, H., Enjuanes, L., Naim, H. and Herrler, G. (2004) A novel sorting signal for intracellular localization is present in the S protein of a porcine coronavirus but absent from severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus. J. Biol. Chem. 279, 43661- 43666.
3. Zimmer, G., Bossow, S., Kolesnikova, L., Hinz, M., Neubert, W. and Herrler, G. (2005) A chimeric respiratory syncytial virus fusion protein functionally replaces the F and HN glycoproteins in recombinant Sendai virus. J. Virol. 79, 10467 - 10477.
4. Ren, X., Glende, J., Al-Falah, M., de Vries, V., Schwegmann-Wessels, C., Qu, X., Tan, L., Tschernig, T., Deng, H., Naim, H.Y. and Herrler, G. (2006) Analysis of ACE2 in polarised epithelial cells: surface expression and function as receptor for SARS-associated coronavirus. J. Gen. Virol., in press.
5. Winter, C., Schwegmann-Weßels, C., Cavanagh, D., Neumann, U. and Herrler, G. (2006) Sialic acid is a receptor determinant for infection of cells by avian infectious bronchitis virus. J Gen Virol, in press.

Website:

• Tierartztliche Hochschule Hannover, Institute of Virology

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