• FluTrackers.com Inc. does not provide medical advice. Information on this web site is collected from various internet resources, and the FluTrackers board of directors makes no warranty to the safety, efficacy, correctness or completeness of the information posted on this site by any author or poster. The information collated here is for instructional and/or discussion purposes only and is NOT intended to diagnose or treat any disease, illness, or other medical condition. Every individual reader or poster should seek advice from their personal physician/healthcare practitioner before considering or using any interventions that are discussed on this website. By continuing to access this website you agree to consult your personal physican before using any interventions posted on this website, and you agree to hold harmless FluTrackers.com Inc., the board of directors, the members, and all authors and posters for any effects from use of any medication, supplement, vitamin or other substance, device, intervention, etc. mentioned in posts on this website, or other internet venues referenced in posts on this website.
  • We are not asking for any donations. Do not donate to any entity who says they are raising funds for us.

Convergent Evolution of Human-Isolated H7N9 Avian Influenza A Viruses

tetano

Editor, Senior Moderator
J Infect Dis. 2018 Feb 9. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiy082. [Epub ahead of print]
[h=1]Convergent Evolution of Human-Isolated H7N9 Avian Influenza A Viruses.[/h] Xiang D[SUP]1,[/SUP][SUP]2[/SUP], Shen X[SUP]1[/SUP], Pu Z[SUP]1[/SUP], Irwin DM[SUP]3,[/SUP][SUP]4[/SUP], Liao M[SUP]1,[/SUP][SUP]5[/SUP], Shen Y[SUP]1,[/SUP][SUP]2,[/SUP][SUP]5[/SUP].
[h=3]Author information[/h]

[h=3]Abstract[/h] [h=4]Background:[/h] Avian influenza A virus (AIV) H7N9 has caused five epidemic waves of human infections in China since 2013. AIVs may face strong selection to adapt to novel conditions when establishing themselves in humans. In this study, we sought to determine whether adaptive evolution had occurred in human-isolated H7N9 viruses.
[h=4]Methods:[/h] We evaluated all available genomes of H7N9 AIVs. Maximum likelihood trees were separately reconstructed for all eight genes. Signals of positive selection and convergent evolution were then detected on branches that lead to changes in host tropism (from avian to human).
[h=4]Results:[/h] We found that three genes had significant signals of positive selection. In addition, we detected 34 sites having significant signals for parallel evolution in eight genes, including seven well-known sites (Q591K, E627K and D701N in PB2 gene, R156K, V202A and L244Q in HA, and R289K in NA) that play roles in crossing species barriers for AIVs.
[h=4]Conclusion:[/h] Our study suggests that during infection in humans, H7N9 viruses have undergone adaptive evolution to adapt to their new host environment, and that the sites where parallel evolution occurred might play roles in crossing species barriers and respond to the new selection pressures arising from their new host environments.


[h=4]KEYWORDS:[/h] H7N9; convergent evolution; host shift; human infection

PMID: 29438519 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiy082
 
Back
Top Bottom