A 20-amino-acid deletion in the neuraminidase stalk and a five-amino-acid deletion in the NS1 protein both contribute to the pathogenicity of H5N1 avian influenza viruses in mallard ducks.

ABSTRACT: Since 2003, H5N1-subtype avian influenza viruses (AIVs) with both a deletion of 20 amino acids in the stalk of the neuraminidase (NA) glycoprotein (A-) and a deletion of five amino acids at positions 80 to 84 in the non-structural protein NS1 (S-) have become predominant. To understand the influence of these double deletions in the NA and NS1 proteins on the pathogenicity of H5N1-subtype AIVs, we selected A/mallard/Huadong/S/2005 as a parental strain to generate rescued wild-type A-S- and three variants (A-S+ with a five-amino-acid insertion in the NS1 protein, A+S- with a 20-amino-acid insertion in the NA stalk, and A+S+ with insertions in both NA and NS1 proteins) and evaluated their biological characteristics and virulence. The titers of the AIVs with A- and/or S- replicated in DEF cell

SUBMITTER: Li Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3990698 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature