Distribution patterns of influenza virus receptors and viral attachment patterns in the respiratory and intestinal tracts of seven avian species

Table 1 Distribution of Sia α-2,3 Gal and Sia α-2,6 Gal receptors^a in the upper and lower respiratory tracts of seven avian species.

Tissue, cell type	Species, receptor type^b
	Chicken		Common Quail		Red-legged Partridge		Turkey		Golden Pheasant		Ostrich		Mallard
	α-2,3	α-2,6	α-2,3	α-2,6	α-2,3	α-2,6	α-2,3	α-2,6	α-2,3	α-2,6	α-2,3	α-2,6	α-2,3	α-2,6
Nasal Cavity
Respiratory Epithelium
Ciliated epithelial cells	+++	++	+	+++	++	+	++	++	++	++	++	-	+	+
Non-ciliated epithelial cells	+	-	+	++	+	+	-	+	+	+	+	-	++	-
Olfactory Epithelium
Olfactory epithelial cells	+++	+	+	++	++	++	++	++	+	++	++	-	-	-
Bowman gland epithelium	+++	+	++	++	++	+	-	+	+	-	-	-	++	+
Adjacent structures
Nasal gland epithelium	+	++	++	+	+	+	++	++	++	+	nd	nd	++	+
Salivary gland epithelium	++	+	+++	++	+	+	++	++	++	+	+++	-	++	+
Trachea
Ciliated epithelial cells	+	+	+	+++	+	-	+++	-	-	++	+	-	++	++
Goblet cells	-	+	+	+	+	-	-	+	+	+	+	-	-	++
Mucous gland epithelium	++	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	-	-	-
Lung
Bronchial epithelial cells	+++	+++	+	+++	-	-	++	+++	+	+	+	-	+	+
Parabronchial epithelial cells	+++	-	+	-	-	-	-	+++	+	-	+	-	+	-
Air capillary cells	-	-	+	-	-	+	-	-	-	+	+	-	-	-

^a The distribution of α-2,3 and α-2,6 influenza receptors was evaluated using lectin immunohistochemistry.
^b -: negative; +: low; ++: moderate; +++: strong; nd: not determined.

ISSN: 1297-9716