Inflammatory, transcriptomic, and cell fate responses underlying the mammalian transmission of avian influenza viruses.

ABSTRACT: Airborne transmissibility of avian influenza viruses (AIVs) in humans is considered an essential component of their pandemic risk. Although several viral factors regulating airborne transmission (AT) have been delineated, it is not known what, if any, responses at the respiratory epithelia are determinants of AIV AT. Using responses in the ferret nasal epithelium to a panel of H1N1 AIVs, we describe host responses that segregate with AT phenotypes. AIV infection upregulated interferon alpha and gamma responses and IL-6 JAK-STAT signaling and downregulated oxidative phosphorylation. Single-cell transcriptomics revealed that cellular genotoxic stress and NF-kB, interferon, and cell fate pathways differentiated host responses to AIVs with different transmissibilities. These responses culminat

SUBMITTER: Zanin M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12456136 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature