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Glycobiology Advance Access published online on October 8, 2008
Glycobiology, doi:10.1093/glycob/cwn098
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© The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Association between expression of the H histo-blood group antigen, {alpha}1,2fucosyltransferases polymorphism of wild rabbits and sensitivity to Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus

Patrice Guillon2, Nathalie Ruvoën-Clouet2,3, Béatrice Le Moullac-Vaidye2, Stéphane Marchandeau4 and Jacques Le Pendu1,2

2 INSERM, U892, Nantes, France; Université de Nantes, Nantes, France
3 Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Nantes, Nantes, France
4 Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, Nantes, France

1 To whom correspondance should be addressed: INSERM, U892, Institut de Biologie, 9 Quai Moncousu 44093, Nantes, Cedex 01, France Tel : 33 240 08 40 99, Fax : 33 240 08 40 82 E-mail : jlependu{at}nantes.inserm.fr

Received on August 21, 2008; accepted on September 23, 2008

RHDV is a highly virulent calicivirus that has become a major cause of mortality in wild rabbit populations (Oryctolagus cuniculus). It binds to the histo-blood group antigen (HBGA) H type 2 which requires an {alpha}1,2fucosyltransferase for its synthesis. In rabbit, three {alpha}1,2fucosyltransferases genes are known, Fut1, Fut2, and Sec1. Non functional alleles at either of these loci could potentially confer resistance to RHDV, similar to human FUT2 alleles that determine the nonsecretor phenotype and resistance to infection by various NoV strains. In this study, we looked for the presence of H type 2 on buccal epithelial cells of wild rabbits from two geographic areas under RHDV pressure and from one RHDV free area. Some animals with diminished H type 2 expression were found in the three populations (nonsecretor-like phenotype). Their frequency markedly increased according to RHDV impact, suggesting that outbreaks selected survivors with low expression of the virus ligand. Polymorphisms of the Fut1, Fut2, and Sec1 coding regions were determined among animals who either died or survived outbreaks. The Fut2 and Sec1 genes presented a high polymorphism and the frequency of one Sec1 allele was significantly elevated, over 6 fold, among survivors. Sec1 enzyme variants showed either moderate, low or undetectable catalytic activity, whereas all variant Fut2 enzymes showed strong catalytic activity. This functional analysis of the enzymes encoded by each Fut2 and Sec1 allele suggests that the association between one Sec1 allele and survival might be explained by a deficit of {alpha}1,2fucosyltransferase expression rather than by impaired catalytic activity.

Key words: RHDV / histo-blood group antigens / fucosyltransferase / polymorphism / resistance to pathogens


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