Adenovirus Infection of Human Enteroids Reveals Interferon Sensitivity and Preferential Infection of Goblet Cells.

Human adenoviruses (HAdV) are significant human pathogens. Although only a subset of HAdV serotypes commonly cause gastroenteritis in humans, most HAdV species replicate in the gastrointestinal tract. Knowledge of the complex interaction between HAdVs and the human intestinal epithelium has been limited by the lack of a suitable cell culture system containing relevant cell types. Recently, this need has been met by the stable and prolonged cultivation of primary intestinal epithelial cells as enteroids. Human enteroids have been used to reveal novel and interesting aspects of rotavirus, norovirus, and enterovirus replication, prompting us to explore their suitability for HAdV culture. We found that both prototype strains and clinical isolates of enteric and nonenteric HAdVs productively replicate in human enteroids. HAdV-5p, a respiratory pathogen, and HAdV-41p, an enteric pathogen, are both sensitive to type I and III interferons in human enteroid monolayers but not A549 cells. Interestingly, HAdV-5p, but not HAdV-41p, preferentially infected goblet cells. And, HAdV-5p but not HAdV-41p was potently neutralized by the enteric human alpha-defensin HD5. These studies highlight new facets of HAdV biology that are uniquely revealed by primary intestinal epithelial cell culture. IMPORTANCE Enteric adenoviruses are a significant cause of childhood gastroenteritis worldwide, yet our understanding of their unique biology is limited. Here we report robust replication of both prototype and clinical isolates of enteric and respiratory human adenoviruses in enteroids, a primary intestinal cell culture system. Recent studies have shown that other fastidious enteric viruses replicate in human enteroids. Therefore, human enteroids may provide a unified platform for culturing enteric viruses, potentially enabling isolation of a greater diversity of viruses from patients. Moreover, both the ability of interferon to restrict respiratory and enteric adenoviruses and a surprising preference of a respiratory serotype for goblet cells demonstrate the power of this culture system to uncover aspects of adenovirus biology that were previously unattainable with standard cell lines.