Fucose dependent rotavirus and norovirus require fucosidase activity for optimal replication.

Rotavirus (RV) and norovirus (NoV) are enteric viruses responsible for acute gastroenteritis that require fucosylated histo-blood group antigens for infection in humans. How the interaction of these viruses with fucosylated glycans modulates infection is not well understood. Treatment of target cells with a bacterial α1,2 fucosidase enzyme reduced RV and NoV infection in vitro, but increased replication in vivo. Conversely, the fucosidase inhibitor 1-deoxyfuconojirimycin impaired viral replication in both models, highlighting the role of fucosidase activity in fucose-dependent enteric virus infection. This underscores the complexity of fucose interactions for these viruses and implicates fucosidase activity as a potential antiviral target for RV and NoV.