Towards a better understanding of the novel avian-origin H7N9 influenza A virus in China

Yongbo Wang; Zhangyan Dai; Han Cheng; Zexian Liu; Zhicheng Pan; Wankun Deng; Tianshun Gao; Xiaotong Li; Yuangen Yao; Jian Ren; Yu Xue

doi:10.1038/srep02318

Towards a better understanding of the novel avian-origin H7N9 influenza A virus in China

Sci Rep. 2013:3:2318. doi: 10.1038/srep02318.

Authors

Yongbo Wang¹, Zhangyan Dai, Han Cheng, Zexian Liu, Zhicheng Pan, Wankun Deng, Tianshun Gao, Xiaotong Li, Yuangen Yao, Jian Ren, Yu Xue

Affiliation

¹ Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China.

Abstract

Recently, a highly dangerous bird flu has infected over 130 patients in China, and the outbreak was attributed to a novel avian-origin H7N9 virus. Here, we performed a systematic analysis of the virus. We clarified the controversial viewpoint on neuraminidase (NA) origin and confirmed it was reassorted from Korean wild birds with higher confidence, whereas common ancestors of pathogenic H7N9 genes existed only one or two years ago. Further analysis of NA sequences suggested that most variations are not drug resistant and current drugs are still effective for the therapy. We also identified a potentially optimal 9-mer epitope, which can be helpful for vaccine development. The interaction of hemagglutinin (HA) and human receptor analog was confirmed by structural modeling, while NA might influence cellular processes through a PDZ-binding motif. A simplified virus infection model was proposed. Taken together, our studies provide a better understanding of the newly reassorted H7N9 viruses.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Amino Acid Motifs
Amino Acid Sequence
Amino Acid Substitution
Animals
Antiviral Agents / chemistry
Antiviral Agents / metabolism
Antiviral Agents / pharmacology
Binding Sites
China
Codon
Drug Resistance, Viral
Epitopes / chemistry
Epitopes / immunology
Genetic Variation
HLA-B Antigens / chemistry
HLA-B Antigens / metabolism
Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus / chemistry
Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus / genetics
Humans
Influenza A Virus, H7N9 Subtype / drug effects
Influenza A Virus, H7N9 Subtype / physiology*
Influenza Vaccines / immunology
Influenza, Human / epidemiology*
Influenza, Human / transmission
Models, Biological
Models, Molecular
Molecular Docking Simulation
Molecular Sequence Data
Neuraminidase / chemistry
Neuraminidase / genetics
Peptides / chemistry
Peptides / immunology
Phylogeny
Protein Binding
Protein Conformation
Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / chemistry
Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / metabolism
Virulence

Substances

Antiviral Agents
Codon
Epitopes
HLA-B Antigens
Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus
Influenza Vaccines
Peptides
Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell
Neuraminidase