Abl family tyrosine kinases regulate sialylated ganglioside receptors for polyomavirus

Sialylated lipids serve as cellular receptors for polyomaviruses. Using pharmacological inhibitors and cell lines derived from knockout mice, we demonstrate that Abl family tyrosine kinases are required for replication of mouse polyomavirus and BK virus, a human polyomavirus associated with allograft failure following kidney transplantation. We show that decreasing Abl family kinase activity results in low levels of cell surface ganglioside receptors for mouse polyomavirus and that inhibition of sialidase activity promotes virion binding in the absence of Abl family kinase activity. These data provide evidence that Abl family kinases reduce ganglioside turnover in the plasma membrane by inhibiting host cell sialidase activity. Thus, Abl family kinases regulate the susceptibility of cells to polyomavirus infection by modulating gangliosides required for viral attachment.