Antigenic Profile of Avian H5N1 Viruses in Asia from 2002 to 2007

[Sally Furniss]

http://jvi.asm.org/cgi/content/abstract/82/4/1798?ct=ct



Antigenic Profile of Avian H5N1 Viruses in Asia from 2002 to 2007<sup>

</sup>

Wai Lan Wu,¹<sup>,

</sup> Yixin Chen,³^,4<sup>,

</sup> Pui Wang,¹ Wenjun Song,¹ Siu-Ying Lau,¹ Jane M. Rayner,¹ Gavin J. D. Smith,¹ Robert G. Webster,⁵ J. S. Malik Peiris,¹ Tianwei Lin,¹^,4 Ningshao Xia,³^,4 Yi Guan,¹^,2^* and Honglin Chen¹^,2^* State Key Laboratory for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Microbiology and the Research Center of Infection and Immunology, The University of Hong Kong, 21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China,¹ International Institute of Infection and Immunity, Shantou University, Shantou, People's Republic of China,² National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases,³ School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, People's Republic of China,⁴ Virology Division, Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105⁵
Received 18 October 2007/ Accepted 26 November 2007
<!-- ABS --> Antigenic profiles of post-2002 H5N1 viruses representing majorgenetic clades and various geographic sources were investigatedusing a panel of 17 monoclonal antibodies raised from five H5N1strains. Four antigenic groups from seven clades of H5N1 viruswere distinguished and characterized based on their cross-reactivityto the monoclonal antibodies in hemagglutination inhibitionand cell-based neutralization assays. Genetic polymorphismsassociated with the variation of antigenicity of H5N1 strainswere identified and further verified in antigenic analysis withrecombinant H5N1 viruses carrying specific mutations in thehemagglutinin protein. Modification of some of these geneticvariations produced marked improvement to the immunogenicityand cross-reactivity of H5N1 strains in assays utilizing monoclonalantibodies and ferret antisera raised against clade 1 and 2H5N1 viruses, suggesting that these sites represent antigenicallysignificant amino acids. These results provide a comprehensiveantigenic profile for H5N1 virus strains circulating in recentyears and will facilitate the recognition of emerging antigenicvariants of H5N1 virus and aid in the selection of vaccine strains.

<hr align="left" width="50%"><!-- null --> * Corresponding author. Mailing address: State Key Laboratory for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, 21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China. Phone: 852 28199830. Fax: 852 28551241. E-mail for H. Chen: hlchen@hkucc.hku.hk<script type="text/javascript"><!-- var u = "hlchen", d = "hkucc.hku.hk"; document.getElementById("em0").innerHTML = '<a href="mailto:' + u + '@' + d + '">' + u + '@' + d + '<\/a>'//--></script>. E-mail for Y. Guan: yguan@hkucc.hku.hk<script type="text/javascript"><!-- var u = "yguan", d = "hkucc.hku.hk"; document.getElementById("em1").innerHTML = '<a href="mailto:' + u + '@' + d + '">' + u + '@' + d + '<\/a>'//--></script> <!-- FN --> <!-- null --> <sup>

</sup> Published ahead of print on 12 December 2007.
<!-- null --> <sup>

</sup> W.L.W. and Y.C. contributed equally to this study.