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Assessment of the internal genes of influenza A (H7N9) virus contributing to high pathogenicity in mice.

ABSTRACT: The recently identified H7N9 influenza A virus has caused severe economic losses and worldwide public concern. Genetic analysis indicates that its six internal genes all originated from H9N2 viruses. However, the H7N9 virus is more highly pathogenic in humans than H9N2, which suggests that the internal genes of H7N9 have mutated. To analyze which H7N9 virus internal genes contribute to its high pathogenicity, a series of reassortants was generated by reverse genetics, with each virus containing a single internal gene of the typical A/Anhui/1/2013 (H7N9) (AH-H7N9) virus in the genetic background of the A/chicken/Shandong/lx1023/2007 (H9N2) virus. The replication ability, polymerase activity, and pathogenicity of these viruses were then evaluated in vitro and in vivo. These recombinants displayed high genetic compatibility, and the H7N9-derived PB2, M, and NP genes were identified as the virulence genes for the reassortants in mice. Further investigation confirmed that the PB2 K627 residue is critical for the high pathogenicity of the H7N9 virus and the reassortant containing the H7N9-derived PB2 segment (H9N2-AH/PB2). Notably, the H7N9-derived PB2 gene displayed greater compatibility with the H9N2 genome than that of H7N9, endowing the H9N2-AH/PB2 reassortant with greater viability and virulence than the parental H7N9 virus. In addition, the H7N9 virus, with the exception of the H9N2 reassortants, could effectively replicate in human A549 cells. Our results indicate that PB2, M, and NP are the key virulence genes, together with the surface hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) proteins, contributing to the high infectivity of the H7N9 virus in humans.To date, the novel H7N9 influenza A virus has caused 437 human infections, with approximately 30% mortality. Previous work has primarily focused on the two viral surface proteins, HA and NA, but the contribution of the six internal genes to the high pathogenicity of H7N9 has not been systematically studied. Here, the H9N2 virus was used as a genetic backbone to evaluate the virulence genes of H7N9 virus in vitro and in vivo. Our data indicate that the PB2, M, and NP genes play important roles in viral infection in mice and, together with HA and NA, contribute to the high infectivity of the H7N9 virus in humans.

SUBMITTER: Bi Y

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4301103 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Assessment of the internal genes of influenza A (H7N9) virus contributing to high pathogenicity in mice.

Bi Yuhai Y Xie Qing Q Zhang Shuang S Li Yun Y Xiao Haixia H Jin Tao T Zheng Weinan W Li Jing J Jia Xiaojuan X Sun Lei L Liu Jinhua J Qin Chuan C Gao George F GF Liu Wenjun W

Journal of virology 20141015 1

<h4>Unlabelled</h4>The recently identified H7N9 influenza A virus has caused severe economic losses and worldwide public concern. Genetic analysis indicates that its six internal genes all originated from H9N2 viruses. However, the H7N9 virus is more highly pathogenic in humans than H9N2, which suggests that the internal genes of H7N9 have mutated. To analyze which H7N9 virus internal genes contribute to its high pathogenicity, a series of reassortants was generated by reverse genetics, with eac ...[more]

PMID: 25320305

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Project description:UnlabelledA novel avian-origin influenza A/H7N9 virus infecting humans was first identified in March 2013 and, as of 30 May 2013, has caused 132 human infections leading to 33 deaths. Phylogenetic studies suggest that this virus is a reassortant, with the surface hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genes being derived from duck and wild-bird viruses, respectively, while the six "internal gene segments" were derived from poultry H9N2 viruses. Here we determine the pathogenicity of a human A/Shanghai/2/2013 (Sh2/H7N9) virus in healthy adult mice in comparison with that of A/chicken/Hong Kong/HH8/2010 (ck/H9N2) virus, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A/Hong Kong/483/1997 (483/H5N1) virus, and a duck influenza A H7N9 virus of different genetic derivation, A/duck/Jiangxi/3286/2009 (dk/H7N9). Intranasal infection of mice with Sh2/H7N9 virus doses of 10(3), 10(4), and 10(5) PFU led to significant weight loss without fatality. This virus was more pathogenic than dk/H7N9 and ck/H9N2 virus, which has six internal gene segments that are genetically similar to Sh2/H7N9. Sh2/H7N9 replicated well in the nasal cavity and lung, but there was no evidence of virus dissemination beyond the respiratory tract. Mice infected with Sh2/H7N9 produced higher levels of proinflammatory cytokines in the lung and serum than did ck/H9N2 and dk/H7N9 but lower levels than 483/H5N1. Cytokine induction was positively correlated with virus load in the lung at early stages of infection. Our results suggest that Sh2/H7N9 virus is able to replicate and cause disease in mice without prior adaptation but is less pathogenic than 483/H5N1 virus.ImportanceAn H7N9 virus isolate causing fatal human disease was found to be more pathogenic for mice than other avian H9N2 or H7N9 viruses but less pathogenic than the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAI) H5N1. Similarly, the ability of Sh2/H7N9 to elicit proinflammatory cytokines in the lung and serum of mice was intermediate to ck/H9N2 and dk/H7N9 on the one hand and HPAI H5N1 on the other. These findings accord with the observed epidemiology in humans, in whom, as with seasonal influenza viruses, H7N9 viruses cause severe disease predominantly in older persons while HPAI H5N1 can cause severe respiratory disease and death in children and young adults.

Project description:H9N2 avian influenza viruses (AIVs) have donated internal gene segments during the emergence of zoonotic AIVs, including H7N9. We used reverse genetics to generate A/Anhui/1/13 (H7N9) and three reassortant viruses (2:6 H7N9) which contained the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase from Anhui/13 (H7N9) and the six internal gene segments from H9N2 AIVs belonging to (i) G1 subgroup 2, (ii) G1 subgroup 3, or (iii) BJ94 lineages, enzootic in different regions throughout Asia. Infection of chickens with the 2:6 H7N9 containing G1-like H9N2 internal genes conferred attenuation in vivo, with reduced shedding and transmission to contact chickens. However, possession of BJ94-like H9N2 internal genes resulted in more rapid transmission and significantly elevated cloacal shedding compared to the parental Anhui/13 H7N9. In vitro analysis showed that the 2:6 H7N9 with BJ94-like internal genes had significantly increased replication compared to the Anhui/13 H7N9 in chicken cells. In vivo coinfection experiments followed, where chickens were coinfected with pairs of Anhui/13 H7N9 and a 2:6 H7N9 reassortant. During ensuing transmission events, the Anhui/13 H7N9 virus outcompeted 2:6 H7N9 AIVs with internal gene segments of BJ94-like or G1-like H9N2 viruses. Coinfection did lead to the emergence of novel reassortant genotypes that were transmitted to contact chickens. Some of the reassortant viruses had a greater replication in chicken and human cells compared to the progenitors. We demonstrated that the internal gene cassette determines the transmission fitness of H7N9 viruses in chickens, and the reassortment events can generate novel H7N9 genotypes with increased virulence in chickens and enhanced zoonotic potential. IMPORTANCE H9N2 avian influenza viruses (AIVs) are enzootic in poultry in different geographical regions. The internal genes of these viruses can be exchanged with other zoonotic AIVs, most notably the A/Anhui/1/2013-lineage H7N9, which can give rise to new virus genotypes with increased veterinary, economic and public health threats to both poultry and humans. We investigated the propensity of the internal genes of H9N2 viruses (G1 or BJ94) in the generation of novel reassortant H7N9 AIVs. We observed that the internal genes of H7N9 which were derivative of BJ94-like H9N2 virus have a fitness advantage compared to those from the G1-like H9N2 viruses for efficient transmission among chickens. We also observed the generation of novel reassortant viruses during chicken transmission which infected and replicated efficiently in human cells. Therefore, such emergent reassortant genotypes may pose an elevated zoonotic threat.

Dataset Information

Assessment of the internal genes of influenza A (H7N9) virus contributing to high pathogenicity in mice.

Publications

Assessment of the internal genes of influenza A (H7N9) virus contributing to high pathogenicity in mice.

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