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J Virol. 2009 Mar 4. [Epub ahead of print]
Selection of H5N1 influenza virus PB2 during replication in humans.
Le QM, Sakai-Tagawa Y, Ozawa M, Ito M, Kawaoka Y. - National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Hanoi, Vietnam; Division of Virology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639; ERATO Infection-Induced Host Responses Project, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama 332-0012; Division of Zoonosis, Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe University, Kobe 650-0017, Japan; and Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706.
Highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza viruses continue to cause concern, even though currently circulating strains are not efficiently transmitted among humans.
For efficient transmission, amino acid changes in viral proteins may be required.
Here, we examined the amino acids at positions 627 and 701 of the PB2 protein.
Direct analysis of the viral RNAs of H5N1 viruses in patients revealed that these amino acids contribute to efficient virus propagation in the human upper respiratory tract.
Viruses grown in culture or eggs did not always reflect those in patients.
These results emphasize the importance of the direct analysis of original specimens.
PMID: 19264775 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
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Selection of H5N1 influenza virus PB2 during replication in humans.
Le QM, Sakai-Tagawa Y, Ozawa M, Ito M, Kawaoka Y. - National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Hanoi, Vietnam; Division of Virology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639; ERATO Infection-Induced Host Responses Project, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama 332-0012; Division of Zoonosis, Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe University, Kobe 650-0017, Japan; and Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706.
Highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza viruses continue to cause concern, even though currently circulating strains are not efficiently transmitted among humans.
For efficient transmission, amino acid changes in viral proteins may be required.
Here, we examined the amino acids at positions 627 and 701 of the PB2 protein.
Direct analysis of the viral RNAs of H5N1 viruses in patients revealed that these amino acids contribute to efficient virus propagation in the human upper respiratory tract.
Viruses grown in culture or eggs did not always reflect those in patients.
These results emphasize the importance of the direct analysis of original specimens.
PMID: 19264775 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
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