Abstract
Avian influenza viruses continue to threaten globally with pandemic potential. The first step in a potential pandemic is the ability of the virus to enter human cells which is mediated by the viral surface glycoprotein hemagglutinin (HA). Viral entry of influenza is dependent upon the processing of the HA0 polypeptide precursor protein into HA1 and HA2 which is mediated by host cellular proteases. The sequence of the cleavage site which is recognized by host proteases has been linked with pathogenesis of various influenza viruses. Here we examined the effects of cleavage site sequences between a highly pathogenic H5N1 strain and a low pathogenic H5N2 strain to determine their effects on viral entry. From this analysis we determined that at the level of viral entry, the only observed difference between the low and high pathogenic strains is their ability to be cleaved by host cellular proteases.
Highlights
Influenza A viruses have two glycoproteins on their surface, neuraminidase (NA) and hemagglutinin (HA)
While NA is believed to be crucial in the budding process to release new viral particles from the host cell surface, HA is thought to be important in the entry of the virus, as this protein mediates binding to its receptor, sialic acid (SA) as well as fusion of the viral envelope with the endosomal membrane [1]
HA is synthesized as a single precursor polypeptide, HA0, which must be cleaved by host proteases into HA1 and HA2 in order to be biologically active
Summary
Influenza A viruses have two glycoproteins on their surface, neuraminidase (NA) and hemagglutinin (HA). The low pathogenic HA at the entry level is their ability to be cleaved and activated by host cellular proteases. (page number not for citation purposes) http://www.virologyj.com/content/6/1/76 were directly treated twenty-six and forty-six hours posttransfection with 100 U/mL of purified neuraminidase to facilitate release of viral particles produced.
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