Comparison of tissue tropism and host response to enteric and respiratory enteroviruses

Enteroviruses (EVs) are among the most prevalent viruses worldwide. They are characterized by a high genetic and phenotypic diversity, being able to cause a plethora of symptoms. EV-D68, a respiratory EV, and EV-D94, an enteric EV, represent an interesting paradigm of EV tropism heterogeneity. They belong to the same species, but display distinct phenotypic characteristics and in vivo tropism. Here, we used these two viruses as well as relevant 3D respiratory, intestinal and neural tissue culture models, to highlight key distinctive features of enteric and respiratory EVs. We emphasize the critical role of temperature in restricting EV-D68 tissue tropism. Using transcriptomic analysis, we underscore fundamental differences between intestinal and respiratory tissues, both in the steady-state and in response to infection. Intestinal tissues present higher cell proliferation rate and are more immunotolerant than respiratory tissues. Importantly, we highlight the different strategies applied by EVD94 and EV-D68 towards the host antiviral response of intestinal and respiratory tissues. EV-D68 strongly activates antiviral pathways while EV-D94, on the contrary, barely induces any host defense mechanisms. In summary, our study provides an insightful characterization of the differential pathogenesis of EV-D68 and EV-D94 and the interplay with their main target tissues.