Micropterus salmoides rhabdovirus enters cells via clathrin-mediated endocytosis pathway in a pH-, dynamin-, microtubule-, rab5-, and rab7-dependent manner.

IMPORTANCE: Although Micropterus salmoides rhabdovirus (MSRV) causes serious fish epidemics worldwide, the detailed mechanism of MSRV entry into host cells remains unknown. Here, we comprehensively investigated the mechanism of MSRV entry into epithelioma papulosum cyprinid (EPC) cells. This study demonstrated that MSRV enters EPC cells via a low pH, dynamin-dependent, microtubule-dependent, and clathrin-mediated endocytosis. Subsequently, MSRV transports from early endosomes to late endosomes and further into lysosomes in a microtubule-dependent manner. The characterization of MSRV entry will further advance the understanding of rhabdovirus cellular entry pathways and provide novel targets for antiviral drug against MSRV infection.