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Mammalian Adaptation in the PB2 Gene of Avian H5N1 Influenza Virus |
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| Authors: | Ji-Young Min Celia Santos Adam Fitch Alan Twaddle Yoshiko Toyoda Jay V. DePasse Elodie Ghedin Kanta Subbarao |
| Affiliation: | Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USAa;Center for Vaccine Research, Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USAb |
| Abstract: | The substitution of glutamic acid (E) for lysine (K) at position 627 of the PB2 protein of avian H5N1 viruses has been identified as a virulence and host range determinant for infection of mammals. Here, we report that the E-to-K host-adaptive mutation in the PB2 gene appeared from day 4 and 5 along the respiratory tracts of mice and was complete by day 6 postinoculation. This mutation correlated with efficient replication of the virus in mice. |
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