scholarly journals The Molecular Determinants of Antigenic Drift in a Novel Avian Influenza A (H9N2) Variant Virus

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yiqing Zheng ◽  
Yanna Guo ◽  
Yingfei Li ◽  
Bing Liang ◽  
Xiaoyuan Sun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Avian Influenza ◽  
Vaccine Strain ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Immune Escape ◽  
Antigenic Drift ◽  
Amino Acid Substitutions ◽  
Variant Virus ◽  
Molecular Determinants

Abstract Background: In early 2020, a novel H9N2 AIV immune escape variant emerged in South China and rapidly spread throughout mainland China. The effectiveness of the current H9N2 vaccine is being challenged by emerging immune escape strains. Assessing key amino acid substitutions that contribute to antigenic drift and immune escape in the HA gene of circulating strains is critical for understanding virus evolution and in selecting more effective vaccine components. Methods: In this study, a representative immune escape strain, A/chicken/Fujian/11/2020 (FJ/20), differed from current H9N2 vaccine strain, A/chicken/Anhui/LH99/2017 (AH/17) by 18 amino acids in the head domain. To investigate the molecular determinants of antigenic drift of FJ/20, a panel of mutants were generated by reverse genetics including specific amino acids changes in the HA genes of FJ/20 and AH/17. The antigenic effect of the substitutions was evaluated by hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay and antigenic cartography. Results: Fujian-like H9N2 viruses had changed antigenicity significantly, having mutated into an antigenically distinct sub-clade. Relative to the titers of the vaccine virus AH/17, the escape strain FJ/20 saw a 16-fold reduction in HI titer against antiserum elicited by AH/17. Our results showed that seven residue substitutions (D127S, G135D, N145T, R146Q, D179T, R182T and T183N) near the HA receptor binding sites were critical for converting the antigenicity of both AH/17 and FJ/20. Especially, the combined mutations 127D, 135G, 145N, and 146R could be a major factor of antigenic drift in the current immune escape variant FJ/20. The avian influenza A (H9N2) variant virus need further ongoing epidemiological surveillance.Conclusions: In this study, we evaluated the relative contributions of different combinations of amino acid substitutions in the HA globular head domain of the immune escape strain FJ/20 and the vaccine strain AH/17. Our study provides more insights into the molecular mechanism of the antigenic drift of the H9N2 AIV immune escape strain. This work identified important markers for understanding H9N2 AIV evolution as well as for improving vaccine development and control strategies in poultry.

scholarly journals Characterization of H9N2 influenza A viruses isolated from chicken products imported into Japan from China

2006 ◽  
Vol 135 (3) ◽  
pp. 386-391 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. MASE ◽  
M. ETO ◽  
K. IMAI ◽  
K. TSUKAMOTO ◽  
S. YAMAGUCHI
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Avian Influenza ◽  
Avian Influenza Virus ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
H9n2 Virus ◽  
Amino Acid Substitutions ◽  
Influenza A Viruses ◽  
Potential Sources

We characterized eleven H9N2 influenza A viruses isolated from chicken products imported from China. Genetically they were classified into six distinct genotypes, including five already known genotypes and one novel genotype. This suggested that such multiple genotypes of the H9N2 virus have possibly already become widespread and endemic in China. Two isolates have amino-acid substitutions that confer resistance to amantadine in the M2 region, and this supported the evidence that this mutation might be a result of the wide application of amantadine for avian influenza treatment in China. These findings emphasize the importance of surveillance for avian influenza virus in this region, and of quarantining imported chicken products as potential sources for the introduction of influenza virus.

scholarly journals Evolution and Adaptation of the Avian H7N9 Virus into the Human Host

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 778
Author(s):  
Andrew T. Bisset ◽  
Gerard F. Hoyne
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Avian Influenza ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Amino Acid Sequences ◽  
Influenza Viruses ◽  
Amino Acid Substitutions ◽  
Upper Respiratory Tract ◽  
Viral Polymerase ◽  
Evolutionary Changes ◽  
Avian Origin

Influenza viruses arise from animal reservoirs, and have the potential to cause pandemics. In 2013, low pathogenic novel avian influenza A(H7N9) viruses emerged in China, resulting from the reassortment of avian-origin viruses. Following evolutionary changes, highly pathogenic strains of avian influenza A(H7N9) viruses emerged in late 2016. Changes in pathogenicity and virulence of H7N9 viruses have been linked to potential mutations in the viral glycoproteins hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA), as well as the viral polymerase basic protein 2 (PB2). Recognizing that effective viral transmission of the influenza A virus (IAV) between humans requires efficient attachment to the upper respiratory tract and replication through the viral polymerase complex, experimental evidence demonstrates the potential H7N9 has for increased binding affinity and replication, following specific amino acid substitutions in HA and PB2. Additionally, the deletion of extended amino acid sequences in the NA stalk length was shown to produce a significant increase in pathogenicity in mice. Research shows that significant changes in transmissibility, pathogenicity and virulence are possible after one or a few amino acid substitutions. This review aims to summarise key findings from that research. To date, all strains of H7N9 viruses remain restricted to avian reservoirs, with no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission, although mutations in specific viral proteins reveal the efficacy with which these viruses could evolve into a highly virulent and infectious, human-to-human transmitted virus.

scholarly journals Genetic diversification of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza A virus during replication in wild ducks

2011 ◽  
Vol 92 (9) ◽  
pp. 2105-2110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yohei Watanabe ◽  
Madiha S. Ibrahim ◽  
Hany F. Ellakany ◽  
Hatem S. Abd El-Hamid ◽  
Kazuyoshi Ikuta
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Avian Influenza ◽  
Influenza A Virus ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza ◽  
Amino Acid Substitutions ◽  
Highly Pathogenic ◽  
Pathogenic Avian Influenza ◽  
Novel Variants ◽  
Avian Influenza A Virus

Highly pathogenic avian influenza A virus subtype H5N1 can potentially generate novel variants during replication of infected hosts. To determine which H5N1 variants predominate in wild birds, we determined the sequences of RT-PCR amplified viral genes from several organs of infected chickens and ducks from Egypt, where H5N1 outbreaks in birds are endemic. Comparison of the sequences in viruses from trachea, lung, brain and liver revealed diversification with different amino acid substitutions in different ducks, but no diversification in chickens. These specific amino acid substitutions were rare among viruses currently circulating in Egypt. In addition, the H5N1 variants showed distinct growth kinetics in duck, canine and human cells. Our findings suggested that ducks can generate H5N1 variants with novel amino acid substitutions that might serve as aetiological agents for new influenza virus outbreaks and epidemics.

scholarly journals Identification of Low- and High-Impact Hemagglutinin Amino Acid Substitutions That Drive Antigenic Drift of Influenza A(H1N1) Viruses

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. e1005526 ◽  
Author(s):  
William T. Harvey ◽  
Donald J. Benton ◽  
Victoria Gregory ◽  
James P. J. Hall ◽  
Rodney S. Daniels ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
High Impact ◽  
Antigenic Drift ◽  
Amino Acid Substitutions ◽  
Influenza A H1n1

scholarly journals Plasticity of Amino Acid Residue 145 Near the Receptor Binding Site of H3 Swine Influenza A Viruses and Its Impact on Receptor Binding and Antibody Recognition

2018 ◽  
Vol 93 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jefferson J. S. Santos ◽  
Eugenio J. Abente ◽  
Adebimpe O. Obadan ◽  
Andrew J. Thompson ◽  
Lucas Ferreri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Receptor Binding ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Antigenic Drift ◽  
Amino Acid Substitutions ◽  
Receptor Binding Site ◽  
Antibody Recognition ◽  
Antigenic Characterization ◽  
Antigenic Evolution

ABSTRACT The hemagglutinin (HA), a glycoprotein on the surface of influenza A virus (IAV), initiates the virus life cycle by binding to terminal sialic acid (SA) residues on host cells. The HA gradually accumulates amino acid substitutions that allow IAV to escape immunity through a mechanism known as antigenic drift. We recently confirmed that a small set of amino acid residues are largely responsible for driving antigenic drift in swine-origin H3 IAV. All identified residues are located adjacent to the HA receptor binding site (RBS), suggesting that substitutions associated with antigenic drift may also influence receptor binding. Among those substitutions, residue 145 was shown to be a major determinant of antigenic evolution. To determine whether there are functional constraints to substitutions near the RBS and their impact on receptor binding and antigenic properties, we carried out site-directed mutagenesis experiments at the single-amino-acid level. We generated a panel of viruses carrying substitutions at residue 145 representing all 20 amino acids. Despite limited amino acid usage in nature, most substitutions at residue 145 were well tolerated without having a major impact on virus replication in vitro. All substitution mutants retained receptor binding specificity, but the substitutions frequently led to decreased receptor binding. Glycan microarray analysis showed that substitutions at residue 145 modulate binding to a broad range of glycans. Furthermore, antigenic characterization identified specific substitutions at residue 145 that altered antibody recognition. This work provides a better understanding of the functional effects of amino acid substitutions near the RBS and the interplay between receptor binding and antigenic drift. IMPORTANCE The complex and continuous antigenic evolution of IAVs remains a major hurdle for vaccine selection and effective vaccination. On the hemagglutinin (HA) of the H3N2 IAVs, the amino acid substitution N 145 K causes significant antigenic changes. We show that amino acid 145 displays remarkable amino acid plasticity in vitro, tolerating multiple amino acid substitutions, many of which have not yet been observed in nature. Mutant viruses carrying substitutions at residue 145 showed no major impairment in virus replication in the presence of lower receptor binding avidity. However, their antigenic characterization confirmed the impact of the 145 K substitution in antibody immunodominance. We provide a better understanding of the functional effects of amino acid substitutions implicated in antigenic drift and its consequences for receptor binding and antigenicity. The mutation analyses presented in this report represent a significant data set to aid and test the ability of computational approaches to predict binding of glycans and in antigenic cartography analyses.

scholarly journals Multiple Natural Substitutions in Avian Influenza A Virus PB2 Facilitate Efficient Replication in Human Cells

2016 ◽  
Vol 90 (13) ◽  
pp. 5928-5938 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Mänz ◽  
Miranda de Graaf ◽  
Ramona Mögling ◽  
Mathilde Richard ◽  
Theo M. Bestebroer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Avian Influenza ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Polymerase Activity ◽  
Host Adaptation ◽  
Influenza Viruses ◽  
Amino Acid Substitutions ◽  
Avian Influenza A Virus

ABSTRACTA strong restriction of the avian influenza A virus polymerase in mammalian cells generally limits viral host-range switching. Although substitutions like E627K in the PB2 polymerase subunit can facilitate polymerase activity to allow replication in mammals, many human H5N1 and H7N9 viruses lack this adaptive substitution. Here, several previously unknown, naturally occurring, adaptive substitutions in PB2 were identified by bioinformatics, and their enhancing activity was verified usingin vitroassays. Adaptive substitutions enhanced polymerase activity and virus replication in mammalian cells for avian H5N1 and H7N9 viruses but not for a partially human-adapted H5N1 virus. Adaptive substitutions toward basic amino acids were frequent and were mostly clustered in a putative RNA exit channel in a polymerase crystal structure. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated divergent dependency of influenza viruses on adaptive substitutions. The novel adaptive substitutions found in this study increase basic understanding of influenza virus host adaptation and will help in surveillance efforts.IMPORTANCEInfluenza viruses from birds jump the species barrier into humans relatively frequently. Such influenza virus zoonoses may pose public health risks if the virus adapts to humans and becomes a pandemic threat. Relatively few amino acid substitutions—most notably in the receptor binding site of hemagglutinin and at positions 591 and 627 in the polymerase protein PB2—have been identified in pandemic influenza virus strains as determinants of host adaptation, to facilitate efficient virus replication and transmission in humans. Here, we show that substantial numbers of amino acid substitutions are functionally compensating for the lack of the above-mentioned mutations in PB2 and could facilitate influenza virus emergence in humans.

scholarly journals Antigenic drift in influenza A viruses. I. Selection and characterization of antigenic variants of A/PR/8/34 [HON1] influenza virus with monoclonal antibodies

1978 ◽  
Vol 148 (2) ◽  
pp. 383-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
W Gerhard ◽  
RG Webster
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Monoclonal Antibodies ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Antigenic Drift ◽  
Single Amino Acid ◽  
Amino Acid Substitutions ◽  
Parent Virus ◽  
Influenza A Viruses

Antigenic variants of A/PR/8/34 [HON1] influenza virus were selected after a single passage of the parent virus in embryonated chicken eggs in the presence of monoclonal antibodies to this virus. The monoclonal antibodies were produced by a hybridoma and were specific for an antigenic determinant on the HA molecule of the parent virus. Seven antigenic variants were analyzed with 95 monoclonal anti-HA antibodies prepared in vitro in the splenic fragment culture system. Three subgroups of antigenic variants were distinguished. The antigenic changes were primarily recognized by monoclonal antibodies to the strain- specific determinants of the parental hemagglutinin (HA) molecule. Monoclonal antibodies to HA determinants shared (in an identical or cross-reactive form) by parental virus and more than three heterologous viruses of the HON1 and H1N1 subtypes were unable to recognize the antigenic change on the variants. Similarly, heterogeneous antibody preparations could not differentiate between parental and variant viruses. The results are compatible with the idea that the HA of PR8 has available a large repertoire of antigenic modifications that may result from single amino acid substitutions, and that antigenic changes can occur in the strain- specific determinants on the HA molecule in the absence of concomitant changes in the cross-reactive HA determinants. The findings suggest that antigenic drift, in order to be epidemiologically significant, probably requires a series of amino acid substitutions in, or close to, the antigenic area on the HA molecule.

scholarly journals The Molecular Determinants of Antibody Recognition and Antigenic Drift in the H3 Hemagglutinin of Swine Influenza A Virus

2016 ◽  
Vol 90 (18) ◽  
pp. 8266-8280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugenio J. Abente ◽  
Jefferson Santos ◽  
Nicola S. Lewis ◽  
Phillip C. Gauger ◽  
Jered Stratton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Influenza A Virus ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Double Mutant ◽  
Swine Influenza ◽  
Antigenic Drift ◽  
Amino Acid Substitutions ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Antigenic Evolution ◽  
Ha Protein

ABSTRACTInfluenza A virus (IAV) of the H3 subtype is an important respiratory pathogen that affects both humans and swine. Vaccination to induce neutralizing antibodies against the surface glycoprotein hemagglutinin (HA) is the primary method used to control disease. However, due to antigenic drift, vaccine strains must be periodically updated. Six of the 7 positions previously identified in human seasonal H3 (positions 145, 155, 156, 158, 159, 189, and 193) were also indicated in swine H3 antigenic evolution. To experimentally test the effect on virus antigenicity of these 7 positions, substitutions were introduced into the HA of an isogenic swine lineage virus. We tested the antigenic effect of these introduced substitutions by using hemagglutination inhibition (HI) data with monovalent swine antisera and antigenic cartography to evaluate the antigenic phenotype of the mutant viruses. Combinations of substitutions within the antigenic motif caused significant changes in antigenicity. One virus mutant that varied at only two positions relative to the wild type had a >4-fold reduction in HI titers compared to homologous antisera. Potential changes in pathogenesis and transmission of the double mutant were evaluated in pigs. Although the double mutant had virus shedding titers and transmissibility comparable to those of the wild type, it caused a significantly lower percentage of lung lesions. Elucidating the antigenic effects of specific amino acid substitutions at these sites in swine H3 IAV has important implications for understanding IAV evolution within pigs as well as for improved vaccine development and control strategies in swine.IMPORTANCEA key component of influenza virus evolution is antigenic drift mediated by the accumulation of amino acid substitutions in the hemagglutinin (HA) protein, resulting in escape from prior immunity generated by natural infection or vaccination. Understanding which amino acid positions of the HA contribute to the ability of the virus to avoid prior immunity is important for understanding antigenic evolution and informs vaccine efficacy predictions based on the genetic sequence data from currently circulating strains. Following our previous work characterizing antigenic phenotypes of contemporary wild-type swine H3 influenza viruses, we experimentally validated that substitutions at 6 amino acid positions in the HA protein have major effects on antigenicity. An improved understanding of the antigenic diversity of swine influenza will facilitate a rational approach for selecting more effective vaccine components to control the circulation of influenza in pigs and reduce the potential for zoonotic viruses to emerge.

scholarly journals Packaging of the Influenza Virus Genome Is Governed by a Plastic Network of RNA- and Nucleoprotein-Mediated Interactions

2018 ◽  
Vol 93 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hardin Bolte ◽  
Miruna E. Rosu ◽  
Elena Hagelauer ◽  
Adolfo García-Sastre ◽  
Martin Schwemmle
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Influenza A Virus ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Interaction Network ◽  
Virus Genome ◽  
Amino Acid Substitutions ◽  
Rna Packaging ◽  
Genome Packaging

ABSTRACTThe genome of influenza A virus is organized into eight ribonucleoproteins, each composed of a distinct RNA segment bound by the viral polymerase and oligomeric viral nucleoprotein. Packaging sequences unique to each RNA segment together with specific nucleoprotein amino acids are thought to ensure the precise incorporation of these eight ribonucleoproteins into single virus particles, and yet the underlying interaction network remains largely unexplored. We show here that the genome packaging mechanism of an H7N7 subtype influenza A virus widely tolerates the mutation of individual packaging sequences in three different RNA segments. However, combinations of these modified RNA segments cause distinct genome packaging defects, marked by the absence of specific RNA segment subsets from the viral particles. Furthermore, we find that combining a single mutated packaging sequence with sets of specific nucleoprotein amino acid substitutions greatly impairs the viral genome packaging process. Along with previous reports, our data propose that influenza A virus uses a redundant and plastic network of RNA-RNA and potentially RNA-nucleoprotein interactions to coordinately incorporate its segmented genome into virions.IMPORTANCEThe genome of influenza A virus is organized into eight viral ribonucleoproteins (vRNPs); this provides evolutionary advantages but complicates genome packaging. Although it has been shown that RNA packaging sequences and specific amino acids in the viral nucleoprotein (NP), both components of each vRNP, ensure selective packaging of one copy of each vRNP per virus particle, the required RNA-RNA and RNA-NP interactions remain largely elusive. We identified that the genome packaging mechanism tolerates the mutation of certain individual RNA packaging sequences, while their combined mutation provokes distinct genome packaging defects. Moreover, we found that seven specific amino acid substitutions in NP impair the function of RNA packaging sequences and that this defect is partially restored by another NP amino acid change. Collectively, our data indicate that packaging of the influenza A virus genome is controlled by a redundant and plastic network of RNA/protein interactions, which may facilitate natural reassortment processes.

scholarly journals The Molecular Basis for Antigenic Drift of Human A/H2N2 Influenza Viruses

2019 ◽  
Vol 93 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Linster ◽  
E. J. A. Schrauwen ◽  
S. van der Vliet ◽  
D. F. Burke ◽  
P. Lexmond ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Influenza Pandemic ◽  
Virus Evolution ◽  
Influenza Viruses ◽  
Antigenic Drift ◽  
Amino Acid Substitutions ◽  
Receptor Binding Site ◽  
Antigenic Evolution ◽  
H2n2 Virus

ABSTRACTInfluenza A/H2N2 viruses caused a pandemic in 1957 and continued to circulate in humans until 1968. The antigenic evolution of A/H2N2 viruses over time and the amino acid substitutions responsible for this antigenic evolution are not known. Here, the antigenic diversity of a representative set of human A/H2N2 viruses isolated between 1957 and 1968 was characterized. The antigenic change of influenza A/H2N2 viruses during the 12 years that this virus circulated was modest. Two amino acid substitutions, T128D and N139K, located in the head domain of the H2 hemagglutinin (HA) molecule, were identified as important determinants of antigenic change during A/H2N2 virus evolution. The rate of A/H2N2 virus antigenic evolution during the 12-year period after introduction in humans was half that of A/H3N2 viruses, despite similar rates of genetic change.IMPORTANCEWhile influenza A viruses of subtype H2N2 were at the origin of the Asian influenza pandemic, little is known about the antigenic changes that occurred during the twelve years of circulation in humans, the role of preexisting immunity, and the evolutionary rates of the virus. In this study, the antigenic map derived from hemagglutination inhibition (HI) titers of cell-cultured virus isolates and ferret postinfection sera displayed a directional evolution of viruses away from earlier isolates. Furthermore, individual mutations in close proximity to the receptor-binding site of the HA molecule determined the antigenic reactivity, confirming that individual amino acid substitutions in A/H2N2 viruses can confer major antigenic changes. This study adds to our understanding of virus evolution with respect to antigenic variability, rates of virus evolution, and potential escape mutants of A/H2N2.

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