Plasticity of the Influenza Virus H5 HA Protein
Huihui Kong, David F. Burke, Tiago José da Silva Lopes, K. Takada, Masaki Imai, Gongxun Zhong, Masato Hatta, Shufang Fan, S. Chiba, Derek J. Smith, Gabriele Neumann, Yoshihiro Kawaoka
Abstract
The HA protein of influenza A viruses is the major viral antigen. In this study, we simultaneously introduced mutations at 17 amino acid positions of an H5 HA expected to affect antigenicity. Viruses with ≥13 amino acid changes in HA were viable, and some had altered antigenic properties. H5 HA can therefore accommodate many mutations in regions that affect antigenicity. The substantial plasticity of H5 HA may facilitate the emergence of novel antigenic variants.
Topics & Concepts
AntigenicityVirologyAntigenic driftAntigenBiologyVirusInfluenza A virusEpitopeAmino acidAntigenic variationStructural plasticityH5N1 genetic structureAntigenic shiftGeneticsCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)MedicineDiseaseNeuroscienceInfectious disease (medical specialty)PathologyInfluenza Virus Research StudiesRespiratory viral infections researchRNA and protein synthesis mechanisms