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Article summary:
1. Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG) are composed of unbranched, negatively charged heparan sulfate (HS) polysaccharides attached to a variety of cell surface or extracellular matrix proteins.
2. This review summarizes the current knowledge on HSPG–virus interactions and distinguishes viruses with established HS binding, viruses that bind HS only after intra-host or cell culture adaptation, and finally, viruses whose dependence on HS for infection is debated.
3. The synthesis of HSPG is initiated through the attachment of the first tetrasaccharide to a serine residue of the core protein and the subsequent addition of N-acetyl glucosamine (GlcNAc) and glucuronic acid (GlcA).
Article analysis:
This article provides an overview of the current knowledge on Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans (HSPG) and their role in viral attachment. The article is well written and provides a comprehensive overview of the structure and synthesis of HSPGs as well as their physiological functions. It also discusses antiviral compounds designed to interfere with HS binding.
The article does not provide any information about potential biases or sources of bias in its reporting, which could be seen as a limitation. Additionally, there is no discussion about possible risks associated with interfering with HS binding or any counterarguments to this approach. Furthermore, while it does discuss different types of viruses that interact with HSPGs, it does not explore all possible types in detail nor does it provide evidence for some claims made about certain viruses’ dependence on HS for infection. Finally, there is no mention of alternative approaches to antiviral therapies that do not involve interfering with HS binding.