Abstract
Influenza virus can rapidly change its antigenicity, via mutation in the hemagglutinin (HA) protein, to evade host immunity. The emergence of the novel human-infecting avian H7N9 virus in China has caused widespread concern. However, evolution of the antigenicity of this virus is not well understood. Here, we inferred the antigenic epitopes of the HA protein from all H7 viruses, based on the five well-characterized HA epitopes of the human H3N2 virus. By comparing the two major H7 phylogenetic lineages, i.e., the Eurasian lineage and the North American lineage, we found that epitopes A and B are more frequently mutated in the Eurasian lineage, while epitopes B and C are more frequently mutated in the North American lineage. Furthermore, we found that the novel H7N9 virus (derived from the Eurasian lineage) isolated in China in the year 2013, contains six frequently mutated sites on epitopes that include site 135, which is located in the receptor binding domain. This indicates that the novel H7N9 virus that infects human may already have been subjected to gradual immune pressure and receptor-binding variation. Our results not only provide insights into the antigenic evolution of the H7 virus but may also help in the selection of suitable vaccine strains.
Highlights
Influenza virus can rapidly change its antigenicity, via mutation in the hemagglutinin (HA) protein, to evade host immunity
By comparing the two major H7 phylogenetic lineages, i.e., the Eurasian lineage and the North American lineage, we found that epitopes A and B are more frequently mutated in the Eurasian lineage, while epitopes B and C are more frequently mutated in the North American lineage
We found that the novel H7N9 virus isolated in China in the year 2013, contains six frequently mutated sites on epitopes that include site 135, which is located in the receptor binding domain
Summary
Influenza virus can rapidly change its antigenicity, via mutation in the hemagglutinin (HA) protein, to evade host immunity. We found that the novel H7N9 virus (derived from the Eurasian lineage) isolated in China in the year 2013, contains six frequently mutated sites on epitopes that include site 135, which is located in the receptor binding domain This indicates that the novel H7N9 virus that infects human may already have been subjected to gradual immune pressure and receptor-binding variation. Hemagglutinin (HA), the main antigen and major surface protein of the influenza A virus, is key to the process of infection caused by this virus. It is the primary target for neutralizing antibodies, which further inhibits attachment of the virus to the target cells and subsequent membrane fusion [11]. Rapid mutation of HA epitopes could disrupt its interaction with antibodies, resulting in viral immune escape
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