The multi-pronged entry of African swine fever virus: from host factors to therapeutic targets
- 1State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China
- 2Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Immunology, Harbin, China
Abstract
African swine fever (ASF), caused by the African swine fever virus (ASFV), remains one of the most devastating transboundary animal diseases worldwide, with case fatality rates reaching up to 100% in acute infections. Viral entry represents the first essential step in infection and is an ideal target for the development of vaccines and antiviral drugs. Recent studies have revealed that ASFV entry is not mediated by a single receptor or pathway. Instead, it involves multiple viral structural proteins, cellular attachment factors, endocytic routes, and intracellular trafficking regulators, which form a coordinated virus-host interaction network. In this review, we systematically summarize recent advances in ASFV multi-pathway invasion, including viral attachment, internalization, intracellular trafficking, uncoating, and membrane fusion. Additionally, we discuss several unresolved questions and highlight promising antiviral and genetic intervention strategies that target both viral components and host determinants. A comprehensive understanding of ASFV entry will provide the theoretical foundation for developing next-generation vaccines, antivirals, and disease-resistant pig populations.
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BibTeX
@article{li2026multipronged,
title = {{The multi-pronged entry of African swine fever virus: from host factors to therapeutic targets}},
author = {Jiaqi Li and Chuanxia Liu and Weitao Huang and Yibing Wang and Li Huang and Changjiang Weng},
journal = {Journal of Virology},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1128/jvi.00924-26},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1128/jvi.00924-26},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The multi-pronged entry of African swine fever virus: from host factors to therapeutic targets
AU - Jiaqi Li
AU - Chuanxia Liu
AU - Weitao Huang
AU - Yibing Wang
AU - Li Huang
AU - Changjiang Weng
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/23
JO - Journal of Virology
DO - 10.1128/jvi.00924-26
UR - https://doi.org/10.1128/jvi.00924-26
AB - African swine fever (ASF), caused by the African swine fever virus (ASFV), remains one of the most devastating transboundary animal diseases worldwide, with case fatality rates reaching up to 100% in acute infections. Viral entry represents the first essential step in infection and is an ideal target for the development of vaccines and antiviral drugs. Recent studies have revealed that ASFV entry is not mediated by a single receptor or pathway. Instead, it involves multiple viral structural proteins, cellular attachment factors, endocytic routes, and intracellular trafficking regulators, which form a coordinated virus-host interaction network. In this review, we systematically summarize recent advances in ASFV multi-pathway invasion, including viral attachment, internalization, intracellular trafficking, uncoating, and membrane fusion. Additionally, we discuss several unresolved questions and highlight promising antiviral and genetic intervention strategies that target both viral components and host determinants. A comprehensive understanding of ASFV entry will provide the theoretical foundation for developing next-generation vaccines, antivirals, and disease-resistant pig populations.
SN - 0022-538X
SN - 1098-5514
ER -