Sharing H5N1 Viruses to Stop a Global Influenza Pandemic

Indonesia's refusal to share samples of H5N1 virus with World Health Organization for most of 2007 is distressing and potentially dangerous for global public health, argue the authors

A single residue substitution in the receptor-binding domain of H5N1 hemagglutinin is critical for packaging into pseudotyped lentiviral particles

© 2012 Tang et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.Background: Serological studies for influenza infection and vaccine response often involve microneutralization and hemagglutination inhibition assays to evaluate neutralizing antibodies against human and avian influenza viruses, including H5N1. We have previously characterized lentiviral particles pseudotyped with H5-HA (H5pp) and validated an H5pp-based assay as a safe alternative for high-throughput serological studies in BSL-2 facilities. Here we show that H5-HAs from different clades do not always give rise to efficient production of H5pp and the underlying mechanisms are addressed. Methodology/Findings: We have carried out mutational analysis to delineate the molecular determinants responsible for efficient packaging of HA from A/Cambodia/40808/2005 (H5Cam) and A/Anhui/1/2005 (H5Anh) into H5pp. Our results demonstrate that a single A134V mutation in the 130-loop of the receptor binding domain is sufficient to render H5Anh the ability to generate H5Anh-pp efficiently, whereas the reverse V134A mutation greatly hampers production of H5Cam-pp. Although protein expression in total cell lysates is similar for H5Anh and H5Cam, cell surface expression of H5Cam is detected at a significantly higher level than that of H5Anh. We further demonstrate by several independent lines of evidence that the behaviour of H5Anh can be explained by a stronger binding to sialic acid receptors implicating residue 134. Conclusions: We have identified a single A134V mutation as the molecular determinant in H5-HA for efficient incorporation into H5pp envelope and delineated the underlying mechanism. The reduced binding to sialic acid receptors as a result of the A134V mutation not only exerts a critical influence in pseudotyping efficiency of H5-HA, but has also an impact at the whole virus level. Because A134V substitution has been reported as a naturally occurring mutation in human host, our results may have implications for the understanding of human host adaptation of avian influenza H5N1 virusesThis work was supported by grants from the Research Fund for the Control of Infectious Diseases of Hong Kong (RFCID#08070972), the Area of Excellence Scheme of the University Grants Committee (grant AoE/M-12/-06 of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China), the French Ministry of Health, and the RESPARI project of the Institut Pasteur International Network

Combined PET and Biopsy Evidence of Marrow Involvement Improves Prognostic Prediction in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

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A Novel Pathogenic Mechanism of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 Viruses Involves Hemagglutinin Mediated Resistance to Serum Innate Inhibitors

In this study, the effect of innate serum inhibitors on influenza virus infection was addressed. Seasonal influenza A(H1N1) and A(H3N2), 2009 pandemic A(H1N1) (H1N1pdm) and highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) viruses were tested with guinea pig sera negative for antibodies against all of these viruses as evaluated by hemagglutination-inhibition and microneutralization assays. In the presence of serum inhibitors, the infection by each virus was inhibited differently as measured by the amount of viral nucleoprotein produced in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells. The serum inhibitors inhibited seasonal influenza A(H3N2) virus the most, while the effect was less in seasonal influenza A(H1N1) and H1N1pdm viruses. The suppression by serum inhibitors could be reduced by heat inactivation or treatment with receptor destroying enzyme. In contrast, all H5N1 strains tested were resistant to serum inhibitors. To determine which structure (hemagglutinin (HA) and/or neuraminidase (NA)) on the virus particles that provided the resistance, reverse genetics (rg) was applied to construct chimeric recombinant viruses from A/Puerto Rico/8/1934(H1N1) (PR8) plasmid vectors. rgPR8-H5 HA and rgPR8-H5 HANA were resistant to serum inhibitors while rgPR8-H5 NA and PR8 A(H1N1) parental viruses were sensitive, suggesting that HA of HPAI H5N1 viruses bestowed viral resistance to serum inhibition. These results suggested that the ability to resist serum inhibition might enable the viremic H5N1 viruses to disseminate to distal end organs. The present study also analyzed for correlation between susceptibility to serum inhibitors and number of glycosylation sites present on the globular heads of HA and NA. H3N2 viruses, the subtype with highest susceptibility to serum inhibitors, harbored the highest number of glycosylation sites on the HA globular head. However, this positive correlation cannot be drawn for the other influenza subtypes

Serological Response to the 2009 Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) Virus for Disease Diagnosis and Estimating the Infection Rate in Thai Population

BACKGROUND: Individuals infected with the 2009 pandemic virus A(H1N1) developed serological response which can be measured by hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) and microneutralization (microNT) assays. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: MicroNT and HI assays for specific antibody to the 2009 pandemic virus were conducted in serum samples collected at the end of the first epidemic wave from various groups of Thai people: laboratory confirmed cases, blood donors and health care workers (HCW) in Bangkok and neighboring province, general population in the North and the South, as well as archival sera collected at pre- and post-vaccination from vaccinees who received influenza vaccine of the 2006 season. This study demonstrated that goose erythrocytes yielded comparable HI antibody titer as compared to turkey erythrocytes. In contrast to the standard protocol, our investigation found out the necessity to eliminate nonspecific inhibitor present in the test sera by receptor destroying enzyme (RDE) prior to performing microNT assay. The investigation in pre-pandemic serum samples showed that HI antibody was more specific to the 2009 pandemic virus than NT antibody. Based on data from pre-pandemic sera together with those from the laboratory confirmed cases, HI antibody titers ≥ 40 for adults and ≥ 20 for children could be used as the cut-off level to differentiate between the individuals with or without past infection by the 2009 pandemic virus. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Based on the cut-off criteria, the infection rates of 7 and 12.8% were estimated in blood donors and HCW, respectively after the first wave of the 2009 influenza pandemic. Among general population, the infection rate of 58.6% was found in children versus 3.1% in adults

Genomic Diversity and Evolution of the Lyssaviruses

Lyssaviruses are RNA viruses with single-strand, negative-sense genomes responsible for rabies-like diseases in mammals. To date, genomic and evolutionary studies have most often utilized partial genome sequences, particularly of the nucleoprotein and glycoprotein genes, with little consideration of genome-scale evolution. Herein, we report the first genomic and evolutionary analysis using complete genome sequences of all recognised lyssavirus genotypes, including 14 new complete genomes of field isolates from 6 genotypes and one genotype that is completely sequenced for the first time. In doing so we significantly increase the extent of genome sequence data available for these important viruses. Our analysis of these genome sequence data reveals that all lyssaviruses have the same genomic organization. A phylogenetic analysis reveals strong geographical structuring, with the greatest genetic diversity in Africa, and an independent origin for the two known genotypes that infect European bats. We also suggest that multiple genotypes may exist within the diversity of viruses currently classified as ‘Lagos Bat’. In sum, we show that rigorous phylogenetic techniques based on full length genome sequence provide the best discriminatory power for genotype classification within the lyssaviruses

E6 and E7 from Beta Hpv38 Cooperate with Ultraviolet Light in the Development of Actinic Keratosis-Like Lesions and Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Mice

Cutaneous beta human papillomavirus (HPV) types appear to be involved in the development of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC); however, it is not entirely clear whether they play a direct role. We have previously shown that E6 and E7 oncoproteins from the beta HPV type 38 display transforming activities in several experimental models. To evaluate the possible contribution of HPV38 in a proliferative tissue compartment during carcinogenesis, we generated a new transgenic mouse model (Tg) where HPV38 E6 and E7 are expressed in the undifferentiated basal layer of epithelia under the control of the Keratin 14 (K14) promoter. Viral oncogene expression led to increased cellular proliferation in the epidermis of the Tg animals in comparison to the wild-type littermates. Although no spontaneous formation of tumours was observed during the lifespan of the K14 HPV38 E6/E7-Tg mice, they were highly susceptible to 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA)/12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) two-stage chemical carcinogenesis. In addition, when animals were exposed to ultraviolet light (UV) irradiation, we observed that accumulation of p21WAF1 and cell-cycle arrest were significantly alleviated in the skin of Tg mice as compared to wild-type controls. Most importantly, chronic UV irradiation of Tg mice induced the development of actinic keratosis-like lesions, which are considered in humans as precursors of squamous cell carcinomas (SCC), and subsequently of SCC in a significant proportion of the animals. In contrast, wild-type animals subjected to identical treatments did not develop any type of skin lesions. Thus, the oncoproteins E6 and E7 from beta HPV38 significantly contribute to SCC development in the skin rendering keratinocytes more susceptible to UV-induced carcinogenesis

Patterns of Evolution and Host Gene Mimicry in Influenza and Other RNA Viruses

It is well known that the dinucleotide CpG is under-represented in the genomic DNA of many vertebrates. This is commonly thought to be due to the methylation of cytosine residues in this dinucleotide and the corresponding high rate of deamination of 5-methycytosine, which lowers the frequency of this dinucleotide in DNA. Surprisingly, many single-stranded RNA viruses that replicate in these vertebrate hosts also have a very low presence of CpG dinucleotides in their genomes. Viruses are obligate intracellular parasites and the evolution of a virus is inexorably linked to the nature and fate of its host. One therefore expects that virus and host genomes should have common features. In this work, we compare evolutionary patterns in the genomes of ssRNA viruses and their hosts. In particular, we have analyzed dinucleotide patterns and found that the same patterns are pervasively over- or under-represented in many RNA viruses and their hosts suggesting that many RNA viruses evolve by mimicking some of the features of their host's genes (DNA) and likely also their corresponding mRNAs. When a virus crosses a species barrier into a different host, the pressure to replicate, survive and adapt, leaves a footprint in dinucleotide frequencies. For instance, since human genes seem to be under higher pressure to eliminate CpG dinucleotide motifs than avian genes, this pressure might be reflected in the genomes of human viruses (DNA and RNA viruses) when compared to those of the same viruses replicating in avian hosts. To test this idea we have analyzed the evolution of the influenza virus since 1918. We find that the influenza A virus, which originated from an avian reservoir and has been replicating in humans over many generations, evolves in a direction strongly selected to reduce the frequency of CpG dinucleotides in its genome. Consistent with this observation, we find that the influenza B virus, which has spent much more time in the human population, has adapted to its human host and exhibits an extremely low CpG dinucleotide content. We believe that these observations directly show that the evolution of RNA viral genomes can be shaped by pressures observed in the host genome. As a possible explanation, we suggest that the strong selection pressures acting on these RNA viruses are most likely related to the innate immune response and to nucleotide motifs in the host DNA and RNAs

HLA-Associated Immune Pressure on Gag Protein in CRF01_AE-Infected Individuals and Its Association with Plasma Viral Load

BACKGROUND: The human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-restricted cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) immune response is one of the major factors determining the genetic diversity of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). There are few population-based analyses of the amino acid variations associated with the host HLA type and their clinical relevance for the Asian population. Here, we identified HLA-associated polymorphisms in the HIV-1 CRF01_AE Gag protein in infected married couples, and examined the consequences of these HLA-selected mutations after transmission to HLA-unmatched recipients. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: One hundred sixteen HIV-1-infected couples were recruited at a government hospital in northern Thailand. The 1.7-kb gag gene was amplified and directly sequenced. We identified 56 associations between amino acid variations in Gag and HLA alleles. Of those amino acid variations, 35 (62.5%) were located within or adjacent to regions reported to be HIV-specific CTL epitopes restricted by the relevant HLA. Interestingly, a significant number of HLA-associated amino acid variations appear to be unique to the CRF01_AE-infected Thai population. Variations in the capsid protein (p24) had the strongest associations with the viral load and CD4 cell count. The mutation and reversion rates after transmission to a host with a different HLA environment varied considerably. The p24 T242N variant escape from B57/58 CTL had a significant impact on the HIV-1 viral load of CRF01_AE-infected patients. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: HLA-associated amino acid mutations and the CTL selection pressures on the p24 antigen appear to have the most significant impact on HIV replication in a CRF01_AE-infected Asian population. HLA-associated mutations with a low reversion rate accumulated as a footprint in this Thai population. The novel HLA-associated mutations identified in this study encourage us to acquire more extensive information about the viral dynamics of HLA-associated amino acid polymorphisms in a given population as effective CTL vaccine targets

Distribution of sialic acid receptors and influenza A viruses of avian and swine origin and in experimentally infected pigs

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Pigs are considered susceptible to influenza A virus infections from different host origins because earlier studies have shown that they have receptors for both avian (sialic acid-alpha-2,3-terminal saccharides (SA-alpha-2,3)) and swine/human (SA-alpha-2,6) influenza viruses in the upper respiratory tract. Furthermore, experimental and natural infections in pigs have been reported with influenza A virus from avian and human sources.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This study investigated the receptor distribution in the entire respiratory tract of pigs using specific lectins <it>Maackia Amurensis </it>(MAA) I, and II, and <it>Sambucus Nigra </it>(SNA). Furthermore, the predilection sites of swine influenza virus (SIV) subtypes H1N1 and H1N2 as well as avian influenza virus (AIV) subtype H4N6 were investigated in the respiratory tract of experimentally infected pigs using immunohistochemical methods.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>SIV antigen was widely distributed in bronchi, but was also present in epithelial cells of the nose, trachea, bronchioles, and alveolar type I and II epithelial cells in severely affected animals. AIV was found in the lower respiratory tract, especially in alveolar type II epithelial cells and occasionally in bronchiolar epithelial cells. SA-alpha-2,6 was the predominant receptor in all areas of the respiratory tract with an average of 80-100% lining at the epithelial cells. On the contrary, the SA-alpha-2,3 was not present (0%) at epithelial cells of nose, trachea, and most bronchi, but was found in small amounts in bronchioles, and in alveoli reaching an average of 20-40% at the epithelial cells. Interestingly, the receptor expression of both SA-alpha-2,3 and 2,6 was markedly diminished in influenza infected areas compared to non-infected areas.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>A difference in predilection sites between SIV and AIV virus was found, and this difference was in accordance with the distribution of the SA-alpha-2,6 and SA-alpha-2,3 receptor, respectively. The results indicated that the distribution of influenza A virus receptors in pigs are similar to that of humans and therefore challenge the theory that the pig acts as a mixing vessel between human and avian influenza viruses. Furthermore, it was shown that AIV prefers to infect alveolar type II epithelial cells in pigs. This corresponds with findings in humans emphasising the resemblance between the two species.</p