scholarly journals Characterizing the Core Internal Gene Pool of H9N2 Responsible for Continuous Reassortment With Other Influenza A Viruses

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haoyi Yang ◽  
Mingda Hu ◽  
Boqian Wang ◽  
Yuan Jin ◽  
Xingfei Gong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Avian Influenza ◽  
Geographic Distribution ◽  
Phylogenetic Relationships ◽  
Gene Pool ◽  
Feature Vector ◽  
Core Gene ◽  
Influenza Viruses ◽  
H9n2 Virus ◽  
Avian Influenza Viruses ◽  
The Core

Reassortment among avian influenza viruses is the main source of novel avian influenza virus subtypes. Studies have shown that the H9N2 virus often donates internal segments to generate novel reassortant avian influenza viruses, acting as a reassortment template. However, the characteristics of the internal pattern of reassortment remain unclear. In this article, we first defined the core gene pool of the internal segments of the H9N2 virus that provide templates for reassortment. We used genetic distance and sequence similarity to define typical clusters in the core gene pool. Then, we analyzed the phylogenetic relationships, feature vector distances, geographic distributions and mutation sites of strains related to the core gene pool. Strains in the same typical clusters have close phylogenetic relationships and feature vector distances. We also found that these typical clusters can be divided into three categories according to their main geographic distribution area. Furthermore, typical clusters in the same geographic area contain some common mutation patterns. Our results suggest that typical clusters in the core gene pool affect the reassortment events of the H9N2 virus in many respects, such as geographic distribution and amino acid mutation sites.

scholarly journals Contribution of Segment 3 to the Acquisition of Virulence in Contemporary H9N2 Avian Influenza Viruses

2020 ◽  
Vol 94 (20) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anabel L. Clements ◽  
Joshua E. Sealy ◽  
Thomas P. Peacock ◽  
Jean-Remy Sadeyen ◽  
Saira Hussain ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Avian Influenza ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Influenza Viruses ◽  
H9n2 Virus ◽  
Morbidity And Mortality ◽  
Single Amino Acid ◽  
Economic Damage ◽  
Poultry Production ◽  
Avian Influenza Viruses

ABSTRACT H9N2 avian influenza viruses (AIVs) circulate in poultry throughout much of Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. These viruses cause huge economic damage to poultry production systems and pose a zoonotic threat both in their own right and in the generation of novel zoonotic viruses, for example, H7N9. In recent years, it has been observed that H9N2 viruses have further adapted to gallinaceous poultry, becoming more highly transmissible and causing higher morbidity and mortality. Here, we investigate the molecular basis for this increased virulence, comparing a virus from the 1990s and a contemporary field strain. The modern virus replicated to higher titers in various systems, and this difference mapped to a single amino acid polymorphism at position 26 of the endonuclease domain shared by the PA and PA-X proteins. This change was responsible for increased replication and higher morbidity and mortality rates along with extended tissue tropism seen in chickens. Although the PA K26E change correlated with increased host cell shutoff activity of the PA-X protein in vitro, it could not be overridden by frameshift site mutations that block PA-X expression and therefore increased PA-X activity could not explain the differences in replication phenotype. Instead, this indicates that these differences are due to subtle effects on PA function. This work gives insight into the ongoing evolution and poultry adaptation of H9N2 and other avian influenza viruses and helps us understand the striking morbidity and mortality rates in the field, as well as the rapidly expanding geographical range seen in these viruses. IMPORTANCE Avian influenza viruses, such as H9N2, cause huge economic damage to poultry production worldwide and are additionally considered potential pandemic threats. Understanding how these viruses evolve in their natural hosts is key to effective control strategies. In the Middle East and South Asia, an older H9N2 virus strain has been replaced by a new reassortant strain with greater fitness. Here, we take representative viruses and investigate the genetic basis for this “fitness.” A single mutation in the virus was responsible for greater fitness, enabling high growth of the contemporary H9N2 virus in cells, as well as in chickens. The genetic mutation that modulates this change is within the viral PA protein, a part of the virus polymerase gene that contributes to viral replication as well as to virus accessory functions—however, we find that the fitness effect is specifically due to changes in the protein polymerase activity.

scholarly journals The PB2 and M genes of genotype S H9N2 virus contribute to the enhanced fitness of H5Nx and H7N9 avian influenza viruses in chickens

Virology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 535 ◽  
pp. 218-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoli Hao ◽  
Xiaoquan Wang ◽  
Jiao Hu ◽  
Min Gu ◽  
Jiongjiong Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Avian Influenza ◽  
Influenza Viruses ◽  
H9n2 Virus ◽  
Avian Influenza Viruses

scholarly journals Novel reassortant of H9N2 avian influenza viruses isolated from chickens and quails in Egypt

2021 ◽  
pp. 2142-2149
Author(s):  
Moataz Elsayed ◽  
AbdelSatar Arafa ◽  
Shahira Abdelwahab ◽  
Amro Hashish ◽  
Ahmed Youssef
Keyword(s):  
Avian Influenza ◽  
Influenza Pandemic ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Influenza Viruses ◽  
H9n2 Virus ◽  
Avian Influenza Viruses ◽  
Genetic Changes ◽  
Genome Variability ◽  
Commercial Chicken ◽  
Amino Acid Mutations

Background and Aim: Poultry infections with H9N2 avian influenza viruses (AIVs) are endemic in Egypt. This study determined the genetic changes in the sequences of H9N2 AIVs isolated from chicken and quails in Egypt, including determining genetic reassortment and detecting the main genetic changes in hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genes. Materials and Methods: Swab samples were collected from chicken and quails, examined through reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and AIVs from positive samples were isolated in embryonated chicken eggs. Complete genome sequencing and phylogenetic analyses were conducted for two H9N2 AIV isolates, and sequences of HA and NA gene segments were analyzed in another two isolates. Results: A novel reassortant virus was identified from a commercial chicken flock (A/chicken/Egypt/374V/2016) and quails from a live bird market (A/quail/Egypt/1253V/2016). The reassortant viruses acquired four genome segments from the classic Egyptian H9N2 viruses (HA, NA, NP, and M) and four segments from Eurasian AIVs (PB2, PB1, PA, and NS). Many genetic changes have been demonstrated in HA and NA genes. The isolated novel reassortant H9N2 virus from quails showed amino acid mutations in the antigenic sites on the globular head of the mature HA monomer matched with the parent Egyptian H9N2 virus. Conclusion: This work described the genetic characterization of a novel reassortment of the H9N2 virus in Egypt. The emergence of new reassorted AIV viruses and genome variability raises the concern of an influenza pandemic with zoonotic potentials.

scholarly journals Bioaerosol Sampling at a Live Animal Market in Kunshan, China: A Noninvasive Approach for Detecting Emergent Viruses

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinye Wang ◽  
Emily S Bailey ◽  
Xian Qi ◽  
Huiyan Yu ◽  
Changjun Bao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Avian Influenza ◽  
Influenza Viruses ◽  
H9n2 Virus ◽  
Molecular Evidence ◽  
Avian Influenza Viruses ◽  
Live Animal ◽  
Live Bird Market ◽  
Live Bird

From October to December 2018, periodic bioaerosol sampling was conducted at a live bird market in Kunshan, China. Sixty-six (55%) of 120 samples had molecular evidence of avian influenza viruses. Four yielded live H9N2 virus after egg culture.

scholarly journals Genetic Characteristics and Pathogenicity Analysis in Chickens and Mice of Three H9N2 Avian Influenza Viruses

Viruses ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yafen Song ◽  
Yong Zhang ◽  
Ling Chen ◽  
Bing Zhang ◽  
Min Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
Avian Influenza ◽  
Animal Studies ◽  
Influenza Viruses ◽  
H9n2 Virus ◽  
Post Inoculation ◽  
Avian Influenza Viruses ◽  
Genetic Characteristics ◽  
H9n2 Avian Influenza Virus ◽  
Virus Surveillance

H9N2 avian influenza is a remarkable disease that has circulated in domestic poultry in large regions of China and posed a serious threat to the poultry industry. The H9N2 virus can not only infect mammals directly, but also provide gene segments to generate novel, but lethal human reassortants. Therefore, it is important to study the evolution, pathogenicity, and transmission of the H9N2 virus. In this study, three H9N2 viruses isolated from chickens in different layer farms were identified. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that these H9N2 viruses were all multiple genotype reassortants, with genes originating from Y280-like, F/98-like, and G1-like viruses. Animal studies indicated that the AV1535 and AV1548 viruses replicated efficiently in the lungs, tracheas, spleens, kidneys, and brains of chickens; the viruses shed for at least 11 days post-inoculation (DPI) and were transmitted efficiently among contact chickens. The AV1534 virus replicated poorly in chickens, shed for 7 DPI, and were not transmitted efficiently among contact chickens. The AV1534 virus replicated well in mice lungs and caused about 2% weight loss. The AV1535 and AV1548 viruses were not able to replicate in the lungs of mice. Our results indicate that we should pay attention to H9N2 avian influenza virus surveillance in poultry and changes in the pathogenicity of them to mammals.

scholarly journals Contribution of segment 3 to the acquisition of virulence in contemporary H9N2 avian influenza viruses

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anabel L. Clements ◽  
Joshua E. Sealy ◽  
Thomas P. Peacock ◽  
Jean-Remy Sadeyen ◽  
Saira Hussain ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Avian Influenza ◽  
Influenza Viruses ◽  
H9n2 Virus ◽  
Morbidity And Mortality ◽  
Single Amino Acid ◽  
Effective Control ◽  
Economic Damage ◽  
Poultry Production ◽  
Avian Influenza Viruses

AbstractH9N2 avian influenza viruses circulate in poultry throughout much of Asia, the Middle East and Africa. These viruses cause huge economic damage to poultry production systems and pose a zoonotic threat both in their own right as well as in the generation of novel zoonotic viruses, for example H7N9. In recent years it has been observed that H9N2 viruses have further adapted to poultry, becoming more highly transmissible and causing higher morbidity and mortality. Here, we investigate the molecular basis for this increased virulence, comparing a virus from the 1990s and a contemporary field strain. The modern virus replicated to higher titres in various systems and this difference mapped to a single amino acid polymorphism at position 26 of the endonuclease domain shared by the PA and PA-X proteins. This change was responsible for the virulent phenotype and extended tissue tropism seen in chickens. Although the PA K26E change correlated with increased host cell shutoff activity of the PA-X protein in vitro, it could not be overridden by frameshift site mutations that block PA-X expression and therefore increased PA-X activity could not explain the differences in replication phenotype. Instead, this indicates these differences are due to subtle effects on PA function. This work gives insight into the ongoing evolution and poultry adaptation of H9N2 and other avian influenza viruses and helps us understand the soaring morbidity and mortality rates in the field, as well as rapidly expanding geographical range seen in these viruses.Author SummaryAvian influenza viruses, such as H9N2, cause huge economic damage to poultry production worldwide and are additionally considered potential pandemic threats. Understanding how these viruses evolve in their natural hosts is key to effective control strategies. In the Middle East and South Asia an older H9N2 virus strain has been replaced by a new reassortant strain with greater fitness. Here we take representative viruses and investigate the genetic basis for this ‘fitness’. A single mutation in the virus was responsible for greater fitness, enabling high growth of the contemporary H9N2 virus in cells, as well as in chickens. The genetic mutation that modulates this change is within the viral PA protein, a part of the virus polymerase gene that contributes in viral replication as well as contribute in the virus accessory functions – however we find that the fitness effect is specifically due to changes in the protein polymerase activity.

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