Truncation and sequence shuffling of segment 6 generate replication-competent neuraminidase-negative influenza H5N1 viruses.

ABSTRACT: Influenza viruses are highly genetically variable and escape from immunogenic pressure by antigenic changes in their surface proteins, referred to as "antigenic drift" and "antigenic shift." To assess the potential genetic plasticity under strong selection pressure, highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) of subtype H5N1 was passaged 50 times in embryonated chicken eggs in the presence of a neutralizing, polyclonal chicken serum. The resulting mutant acquired major alterations in the neuraminidase (NA)-encoding segment. Extensive deletions and rearrangements were detected, in contrast to only 12 amino acid substitutions within all other segments. Interestingly, this new neuraminidase segment resulted from complex sequence shuffling and insertion of a short fragment originating from

SUBMITTER: Kalthoff D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3838276 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature