Hemagglutinating encephalomyelitis virus attaches to N-acetyl-9-O-acetylneuraminic acid-containing receptors on erythrocytes: comparison with bovine coronavirus and influenza C virus

The receptors for the hemagglutinating encephalomyelitis virus (HEV, a porcine coronavirus) on chicken erythrocytes were analyzed and compared to the receptors for bovine coronavirus (BCV) and influenza C virus. Evidence was obtained that HEV requires the presence of N-acetyl-9-O-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5,9Ac2) on the cell surface for agglutination of erythrocytes as has been previously shown for BCV and influenza C virus: (i) Incubation of red blood cells with sialate 9-O-acetylesterase, the receptor-destroying enzyme of influenza C virus, rendered the erythrocytes resistant against agglutination by each of the three viruses; (ii) Human erythrocytes which are resistant to agglutination by HEV acquire receptors for HEV after resialylation with Neu5,9Ac2. Sialylation of red blood cells with limiting amounts of sialic acid indicated that strain JHB/1/66 of influenza C virus requires less Neu5,9Ac2 for agglutination of erythrocytes than the two coronaviruses, both of which were found to be similar in their reactivity with Neu5,9Ac2-containing receptors.     

The surface receptor is a major determinant of the cell tropism of influenza C virus

N-Acetyl-9-O-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5,9Ac2) has been shown to be a high-affinity receptor determinant for attachment of influenza C virus to erythrocytes (G. N. Rogers, G. Herrler, J. C. Paulson, and H-D. Klenk, 1986, J. Biol. Chem. 261, 5947-5951). In this report the nature of the cell surface receptor for influenza C virus on tissue culture cells was analyzed. Pretreatment with either neuraminidase or neuraminate 9-O-acetylesterase was found to render LLC-MK2 cells resistant to infection by influenza C virus as evidenced by the failure to detect virus release into the medium by hemagglutination titration. Susceptibility to infection was fully restored after incubation of neuraminidase-treated cells with bovine brain gangliosides known to contain Neu5,9Ac2. These results indicate that (i) Neu5,9Ac2 is the primary receptor determinant required for influenza C virus to attach to tissue culture cells and to initiate infection and (ii) gangliosides containing this type of sialic acid are potential receptors for influenza C virus. Several cell lines which are resistant to infection by this virus were able to release influenza C virus into the medium provided they were incubated with bovine brain gangliosides prior to virus infection. This result indicates that lack of appropriate receptors on the cell surface is a major reason for the restricted cell tropism of influenza C virus.     

Differential innate responses of chickens and ducks to low-pathogenic avian influenza

Ducks and chickens are hosts of avian influenza virus, each with distinctive responses to infection. To understand these differences, we characterized the innate immune response to low-pathogenicity avian influenza virus H7N1 infection in chickens and ducks. Viral RNA was detected in the lungs of chickens from day 0.8 to 7, in ducks mainly at day 4. In both species, viral RNA was detected in the bursa and gut. Infection in chickens resulted in up-regulation of interferon (IFN)-α and IFN-β mRNA, while in the ducks IFN-γ mRNA was strongly up-regulated in the lung and bursa. In chickens and ducks, all investigated pathogen recognition receptor (PRR) mRNAs were up-regulated; however, in the chicken lung Toll-like receptor (TLR)7 and melanoma differentiation-associated protein (MDA)-5 mRNA were strongly induced. TLR3, TLR7 and MDA-5 responses correlated with IFN-α and IFN-β responses in chickens, but in ducks a correlation between IFN-α and TLR7, retinoic acid-inducible gene-I and MDA-5 was absent. We studied the responses of duck and chicken splenocytes to poly(I:C) and R848 analogues to analyse the regulation of PRRs without the interfering mechanisms of the influenza virus. This revealed IFN-α and IFN-γ responses in both species. MDA-5 was only strongly up-regulated in chicken splenocytes, in which time-related PRR responses correlated with the IFN-α and IFN-β response. This correlation was absent in duck splenocytes. In conclusion, chickens and ducks differ in induction of MDA-5, TLR7 and IFN-α mRNA after an influenza virus infection in vivo and after in vitro stimulation with TLR antagonists.     

The nature of the influenza C virus receptor and the specificity of the receptor-destroying enzyme

Bacterial neuraminidases destroy influenza C virus receptors of chick erythrocytes and inactivate hemagglutination inhibitors: rat alpha 1-macroglobulin (RMG) and bovine submaxillary mucin (BSM). These data indicate that neuraminic acid may be a component of influenza C virus receptor. The inhibiting activity of RMG and BSM is also eliminated by the receptor-destroying enzyme (RDE) of influenza C virus. After inactivation, the inhibitors (RMG and BSM) contain a reduced amount of N-acetyl-9-0-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5, 9Ac2) and a larger amount of N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5 Ac). Transformation of Neu5, 9Ac2 into Neu5 Ac may also occur upon incubation of free neuraminic acid with influenza C virus. These data indicate that the RDE of influenza C virus is neuraminate-O-acetylesterase (N-acyl-9 4-O-acetylneuraminate O-acetylhydrolase (EC 3.1.1.53). It was shown that inhibition of influenza C virus hemagglutination by RMG and BSM and, apparently, adhesion of the virus to the cell surface involves binding of influenza C virus with Neu5, 9Ac2.     

A single point mutation of the influenza C virus glycoprotein (HEF) changes the viral receptor-binding activity.

From strain JHB/1/66 of influenza C virus a mutant was derived with a change in the cell tropism. The mutant was able to grow in a subline of Madin-Darby canine kidney cells (MDCK II) which is resistant to infection by the parent virus due to a lack of receptors. Inactivation of cellular receptors by either neuraminidase or acetylesterase and generation of receptors by resialylation of cells with N-acetyl-9-O-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5,9Ac2) indicated that 9-O-acetylated sialic acid is a receptor determinant for both parent and mutant virus. However, the mutant required less Neu5,9Ac2 on the cell surface for virus attachment than the parent virus. The increased binding efficiency enabled the mutant to infect cells with a low content of 9-O-acetylated sialic acid which were resistant to the parent virus. By comparing the nucleotide sequences of the glycoprotein (HEF) genes of the parent and the mutant virus only a single point mutation could be identified on the mutant gene. This mutation at nucleotide position 872 causes an amino acid exchange from threonine to isoleucine at position 284 on the amino acid sequence. Sequence similarity with a stretch of amino acids involved in the receptor-binding pocket of the influenza A hemagglutinin suggests that the mutation site on the influenza C glycoprotein (HEF) is part of the receptor-binding site.     

Genome-sequenee Analysis of the Pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza A Virus Isolated in China in 2004

Analysis of the sequences of the genome of the avian influenza A/chicken/Hubei/327/2004 (H5N1) virus, isolated from a poultry farm during the outbreak of avian influenza (AI) in Hubei Province, central China, in the spring of 2004, revealed that the hemagglutinin (HA) gene of the virus was genetically similar to those of the H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAI). Notably, the neuraminidase gene of the virus had a 20-amino acid deletion in the stalk region and a 5-amino acid deletion in the NS gene which belonged to allele B. Furthermore, the internal genes (PB2, PA, NP, M2) of the A/chicken/Hubei/327/2004 virus with the particular amino acid residues were more closely related to H5N1 viruses of 2000–2003 isolated in Hong Kong and the AIV of Thailand and Vietnam in 2004, but less likely to evolve from the viruses of Hong Kong 1997. Finally, our results demonstrated that the influenza A/chicken/Hubei/327/2004 (H5N1) virus was similar to those of the AI viruses isolated from Hong Kong (2000–2003), Vietnam, and Thailand rather than the viruses from the 1997 lineage of Hong Kong and with closest genetic relatives to the influenza A/Chicken/Hong Kong/61.9/02 (H5N1) virus. These data suggest that the influenza A/chicken/Hubei/327/2004 (H5N1) virus which circulated in central China derived its internal gene from a virus similar to the influenza A/Chicken/Hong Kong/61.9/02 (H5N1) virus.     

Acetylated galactosamine is a receptor for the influenza C virus glycoprotein

Summary We have investigated the specificity of influenza C virus receptor destroying enzyme (RDE) by treatment of erythrocytes of various species with influenza C virus followed by examination of the agglutination patterns of the erythrocytes with a panel of 13 lectins and four anti-human blood group sera of known receptor specificity. Human and animal erythrocytes were agglutinated by lectins SBA, DBA, WFA, VAAII, RCAII, and WGA which have a specificity for the N-acetyl group of galactosamine (NAc-D-Gal) or glucosamine (NAc-D-Gal); this effect was abolished after treatment of erythrocytes with influenza C virus. On the other hand, lectins (RCAI, PNA, APA) with a specificity for D-Gal were able to agglutinate erythrocytes both before and after influenza C virus treatment. Thus, influenza C virus RDE is able to cleave an acetyl group at the N position of galactosamine or glucosamine in addition to acetyl groups in the O position of neuraminic acid and acetylated amino sugars such as galactosamine may act as receptors for the haemagglutinin of influenza C viruses in addition to acetylated neuraminic acid.     

Differences between influenza virus receptors on target cells of duck and chicken

H5, H7, and H9 subtype influenza viruses in land-based poultry often differ from viruses of wild aquatic birds by deletions in the stalk of the neuraminidase, by the presence of additional carbohydrates on the hemagglutinin, and by occasional changes in the receptor specificity. To test whether these differences could reflect distinctions between the virus receptors in different avian species, we compared the binding of duck, chicken and human influenza viruses to cell membranes and gangliosides from epithelial tissues of duck, chicken and African green monkey. Human viruses bound to cell membranes of monkey and chicken but not to those of duck, suggesting that chicken cells unlike duck cells contain Sia(alpha2-6)Gal-terminated receptors recognized by human viruses. Duck virus bound to gangliosides with short sugar chains that were abundant in duck intestine. Human and chicken viruses did not bind to these gangliosides and bound more strongly than duck virus to gangliosides with long sugar chains that were found in chicken intestinal and monkey lung tissues. Our data suggest that the spectrum of sialylglycoconjugates which can serve as influenza virus receptors in chicken is more similar to the spectrum of receptors in the respiratory epithelia of monkey than to that in the epithelial tissues of duck. This notion could explain the recent emergence of avian H9N2 virus lineage with human virus-like receptor specificity and emphasizes the role of the chicken as a potential intermediate host for the transmission of viruses from aquatic birds to humans.     

不同抗原性甲3 (H3N2) 亚型流感病毒的鉴定及分子生物学研究

目的：对不能用当年标准血清进行鉴定的甲3（H3N2）亚型流感病毒进行抗原性分析及分子生物学研究。方法：用交互血凝抑制试验对毒株进行抗原性分析,提取病毒RNA,用一步法逆转录聚合酶链反应（RT－PCR）扩增HA1（血凝素重链区）基因片段,产物纯化后测序并分析结果。结果：发现两株从鸡胚分离到的甲3（H3N2）亚型“D”相毒株与2株从MDCK细胞分离到的“0”相毒株抗原性已明显不同;其中1999年分离的“D”相与“0”相2毒株的抗原比大于256,氨基酸序列同源性为93％,抗原决定簇A区和B区氨基酸位点相差分别为50％及35％;受体结合部位（RBS）有6个氨基酸位点发生变异（左侧壁1个、前壁3个、右壁2个）。结论：人群中存在没有发生“0”相变异的甲（H3N2）亚型“D”相毒株,其抗原性与当前流行的“O”相变异株已明显不同,提示今后在鉴定甲3（H3N2）亚型毒株时,需根据毒株的来源和相特性选择适合的标准血清进行鉴定。     

不同亚型禽流感病毒红细胞凝集特性分析

目的:了解不同亚型禽流感病毒与不同动物来源红细胞的凝集特性,为流感环境样本监测工作选择更适宜的检测用红细胞。方法:选取2009-2016年我国禽流感环境监测中分离到的不同亚型的禽流感毒株,采用红细胞凝集试验,选用5种动物红细胞(鸡、火鸡、豚鼠、马和绵羊)进行检测;应用流式细胞仪检测不同动物红细胞表面唾液酸受体的表达及类...     

Genetic Conservation of Hemagglutinin Gene of H9 Influenza Virus in Chicken Population in Mainland China

The hemagglutinin (HA) genes of 12 H9N2 influenza virus strains isolated from chickens in Mainland China during the period 1995–2002 were genetically analyzed. All the isolates possessed the same amino acid motif -R-S-S-R/G-L- at the cleavage site of HA. Except for the conserved amino acids, as is the case in the other avian influenza viruses, located in the receptor binding site, all of the 12 isolates possessed N at amino acid position 183; A, T, or V at position 190; K at position 137, whereas the representative strains of the other lineage (except Dk/HK/Y280/97-like lineage) virus of H9N2 viruses had H, E, and R at these positions respectively. These could be considered as the partial molecular markers of the H9 viruses isolated from chickens in Mainland China. Phylogenetic analyses showed HA genes of these isolates belonged to that of A/duck/Hong Kong/Y280/97-like virus lineage. No A/quail/Hong Kong/Gl/97-like virus was found in chicken, population since the outbreak of H9N2 influenza in Mainland China in 1992. The available evidence indicates that HA genes of H9 influenza virus circulating in Mainland China during the past years were well conserved.     

Mismatched hemagglutinin and neuraminidase specificities in recent human H3N2 influenza viruses

The hemagglutinin (HA) of influenza viruses initiates infection by binding to sialic acid on the cell surface via alpha2,6 (human) or alpha2,3 (avian) linkage. The influenza neuraminidase (NA) can cleave both alpha2,3- and alpha2,6-linked sialic acids, but all influenza NAs have a marked preference for the non-human alpha2,3 linkage. Recent H3N2 influenza viruses have lost the ability to agglutinate chicken red blood cells. To determine if changes in HA specificity or affinity correlate with NA specificity or activity, we examined red cell binding and elution of a series of H3N2 viruses. We found that the NA activity of many influenza viruses does not release binding by their HA. In some egg-adapted strains, lack of elution correlates with low levels of viral NA activity, and these elute rapidly when bacterial NA is added. However, a Fujian-like virus, A/Oklahoma/323/03, does not elute by its own NA or with Vibrio cholerae sialidase, and it binds to red cells pre-treated with V. cholerae sialidase. It elutes after addition of the broad specificity Micromonospora viridifaciens sialidase. Human glycophorin inhibits A/Oklahoma/323/03 hemagglutination 6-fold better than fetuin. We conclude that specific forms of sialic acid are used as receptor by recent human H3N2 influenza viruses, perhaps involving branched alpha2,6 sialic acid or alpha2,8 sialic acid structures on O-linked carbohydrates. The virus itself has no O-linked glycans, so even though the NA is not able to cleave receptors on cells, the viruses will not self-aggregate. It will be important to monitor efficacy of neuraminidase inhibitors in case there are NA-resistant receptors in the human respiratory tract that allow the viruses to be less dependent on NA activity.     

Human antibody to influenza C virus: its age-related distribution and distinction from receptor analogs.

Sera from persons of four age groups (1 to 2 years, 2 to 5 years, 20 to 30 years, and 65 to 85 years) were analyzed for hemagglutination inhibition (HI) activity for influenza C virus. Significant HI activity was found in 66% of the 237 sera tested, and titers ranged from 8 to 512. In the yoiung adult group, 96% had antibody and the highest mean titer (74.7) of any age group. Positive sera were far less common in young children (36 to 47%), and relatively low titers (18.3) were common among adults over 65. The high percentage of sera with antibody to influenza C virus suggests that infections with this virus occur at a rate greater than previously recognized. The high percentage of young adults with elevated levels of HI antibody suggested either that an immune response to influenza C infections is common or that the observed HI activity might be attributable, in part at least, to nonspecific inhibitors in the sera. We showed both directly and indirectly that most if not all the inhibitory activity in the human sera we examined was due to specific antibody, mostly immunoglobulin G. This conclusion is based on the finding that the single serum protein fraction with HI activity was found to have a molecular weight equivalent to that of 7S antibody (150,000) and that the HI activity was removed by absorption to staphyloccal protein A. Moreover, immunoglobulin from only HI-positive sera bound specifically to cells infected with influenza C virus, as shown by inhibition of hemadsorption and immunofluorescence. These findings were supported by similar results obtained with chicken antisera to C virus.     

用反向遗传技术产生冷适应致弱的重组A型人流感病毒的研究

目的 以鸡胚高度适应株A/PR/8/34株为重组流感病毒骨架,利用反向遗传技术拯救冷适应致弱的重组A型人流感病毒.方法 对冷适应、温度敏感、减毒的A/Ann Arbor/6/60(H2N2)流感病毒株的PB2基因片段,进行了全基因序列合成,同时人工引入PB2265(N265S)氨基酸的突变.PB2基因片段通过与改造后的转录/表达载体pAD3000连接,构建PB2基因的拯救载体.该重组质粒与PR8进行"7 1"组合的病毒拯救,共转染COS-1细胞.结果 经测序获得序列准确的拯救质粒pMDV-A-PB2,利用反向遗传技术成功拯救出了具有血凝性(1×25)的冷适应的重组A型流感病毒.结论 利用反向遗传技术成功拯救冷适应致弱的重组A型人流感病毒,该系统为深入研究甲型人流感病毒的基因功能和新型疫苗研发奠定了基础.     

Circulation of the influenza virus on poultry-raising farms

The results of examinations for immunity to influenza in chickens and the personnel handling them at the permanently observed farm are presented. Antibodies mainly to the same antigenic variants of human influenza viruses were found in chicken and human blood sera. Alongside with antihemagglutinins to influenza A (H3N2) virus strains, chicken in 1983-1984 were found to have antibodies to influenza B virus epidemically important in those years. Thus, in poultry farms human influenza viruses are introduced into poultry populations. The strains circulating among fowls may probably be potentially dangerous for man.     

Growth of avian and human influenza viruses in organ cultures of duck and chicken colons

Summary Colons from ducks and chicken 1, 7, 14 and 28 days old maintained near-normal morphology up to 48 and 96 hours respectively in a system using NCTC 135 medium (1 part)+Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (9 parts), at 37° C and 95 per cent 0₂/5 per cent CO₂. In the colon of 1 and 28 day-old ducks, duck influenza virus (Hav7N2) and budgerigar influenza virus (Hav4Nav1) grew to peak titer by hour 72, whereas human influenza virus (H3N2) did not grow. In the colon of 1 day-old chicken, the three viruses grew in the order of first duck virus, then budgerigar virus and then human virus, but in the colon of 28 day-old chicken, the growth of human virus was much less. Specific fluorescence was demonstrated in the mucosal epithelium of the colon of ducks and chicken, and intensity of fluorescence correlated with virus yield. The fact that the avian and not the human influenza viruses showed good growth in the duck clons coincided with the fact that influenza viruses possessing avian hemagglutinin subtypes have frequently been isolated in nature from duck intestines.With 3 Figures     

A comparison of "influenza C" with prototype myxoviruses: receptor-destroycing activity (neuraminidase) and structural polypeptides.

“Influenza C” virus agglutinates chicken erythrocytes and elutes rapidly from them, in the process destroying receptors for the virus. Virions of influenza C purified by centrifugation into a density gradient retain the ability to agglutinate and elute from red blood cells and to destroy their receptors for influenza C. However, the receptor-destroying activity of influenza C does not affect receptors for prototype ortho- and paramyxoviruses. Purified and concentrated bacterial neuraminidase destroys receptors for influenza A and B and Newcastle disease viruses without affecting receptors for influenza C. These results confirm and extend previous observations by Hirst that influenza C receptors differ from receptors for myxoviruses and suggest they do not contain sialic acid. Direct assay for neuraminidase activity in “influenza C” was carried out employing as substrates compounds containing predominantly N-acetyl, 4-O-acetyl N-acetyl, or 7-O-acetyl and 8-O-acetyl N-acetyl neuraminic acid in 2–3′-, 2–4′-, 2–6′- and 2–8′-α-O-glycosidic linkage. Although differences in specificity were observed between Vibrio cholerae neuraminidase, influenza A and B neuraminidase, and Newcastle disease virus neuraminidase, each neuraminidase was active against several of the substrates whereas “influenza C” did not liberate sialic acid from any substrate. It is concluded that “influenza C” lacks an α-neuraminidase. By acrylamide-gel electrophoretic analysis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate influenza C virions were found to contain three glycoproteins, of sizes about 83,000, 66,000 and 26,000 daltons. The main structural polypeptide was nonglycosylated, had a size of about 28,000 daltons, and was the only polypeptide present in enveloped structures recovered after prolonged proteolytic digestion which destroys all morphologically identifiable components of influenza C virions except for the structural envelope. This component is thus identified as the internal membrane protein. An additional non-glycosylated major polypeptide component in virions, of size about 62,000 daltons, is believed to be the nucleoprotein. The pattern of structural polypeptides is distinct from that of paramyxoviruses, but in some respects similar to orthomyxoviruses. Classification and nomenclature of “influenza C” virus are discussed.     

MDCK-SIAT1 cells show improved isolation rates for recent human influenza viruses compared to conventional MDCK cells

The ability to isolate and propagate influenza virus is an essential tool for the yearly surveillance of circulating virus strains and to ensure accurate clinical diagnosis for appropriate treatment. The suitability of MDCK-SIAT1 cells, engineered to express increased levels of alpha-2,6-linked sialic acid receptors, as an alternative to conventional MDCK cells for isolation of circulating influenza virus was assessed. A greater number of influenza A (H1N1 and H3N2) and B viruses from stored human clinical specimens collected between 2005 and 2007 were isolated following inoculation in MDCK-SIAT1 cells than in MDCK cells. In addition, a higher titer of virus was recovered following culture in MDCK-SIAT1 cells. All A(H1N1) viruses recovered from MDCK-SIAT1 cells were able to agglutinate both turkey and guinea pig red blood cells (RBC), while half of the A(H3N2) viruses recovered after passage in MDCK-SIAT1 cells lost the ability to agglutinate turkey RBC. Importantly, the HA-1 domain of the hemagglutinin gene was genetically stable after passaging in MDCK-SIAT1 cells, a feature not always seen following MDCK cell or embryonated chicken egg passage of human influenza virus. These data indicate that the MDCK-SIAT1 cell line is superior to conventional MDCK cells for isolation of human influenza virus from clinical specimens and may be used routinely for the isolation and propagation of current human influenza viruses for surveillance, diagnostic, and research purposes.     

Influenza virus sensitivity to interferon and its inducer

The results of the study on influenza virus sensitivity to interferon of two kinds (human and chicken) and its inducer, poly(G) . poly(C) are presented. Differences in this characteristic among human and animal influenza viruses were demonstrated. There was a correlation between sensitivity to poly(G) . poly(C)-induced interferon and sensitivity to chicken interferon. Comparative studies of sensitivity to interferon in parent viruses and recombinants demonstrated that recombinants derived this property from one of the parental strains.     

Evidence of a soluble substrate for the receptor-destroying enzyme of influenza C virus.

Influenza C virus contains a hemagglutinin and a receptor-destroying enzyme (RDE) whose specificities remain undetermined. In rat serum, there is a molecule that binds specifically to C virus, inhibiting its hemagglutinin. The complex between C virus and the rat serum inhibitor (RSI) was determined to be stable at 4 degrees C, but was disrupted within 20 to 90 min at 23 or 37 degrees C. Virus emerged from the complex with numerous functions intact, whereas the RSI at this point was inactivated, i.e., incapable of further inhibitory reactions with C virus. RSI could not be inactivated at these temperatures by nonviral components of allantoic fluid of infected chicken embryos; however, RSI inactivation was achieved by preparations of sucrose gradient-purified virus. Neutralization of viral hemagglutination activity with antiviral antibody protected the RSI from inactivation. RSI inactivation occurred at temperatures at which the viral RDE was active, and inhibition of viral RDE by periodate treatment sharply reduced the ability of virus to inactivate the RSI. One interpretation of the data suggests that RSI is a receptor analog reactive with both the hemagglutinin and RDE of C virus and that RSI inactivation is an assay of influenza C viral RDE.