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Fan S, Kong H, Babujee L, Presler R, Jester P, Burke D, Pattinson D, Barr I, Smith D, Neumann G, Kawaoka Y. Assessment of the antigenic evolution of a clade 6B.1 human H1N1pdm influenza virus revealed differences between ferret and human convalescent sera. EBioMedicine 2024; 101:105013. [PMID: 38364702 PMCID: PMC10879773 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2024.105013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Influenza viruses continually acquire mutations in the antigenic epitopes of their major viral antigen, the surface glycoprotein haemagglutinin (HA), allowing evasion from immunity in humans induced upon prior influenza virus infections or vaccinations. Consequently, the influenza strains used for vaccine production must be updated frequently. METHODS To better understand the antigenic evolution of influenza viruses, we introduced random mutations into the HA head region (where the immunodominant epitopes are located) of a pandemic H1N1 (H1N1pdm) virus from 2015 and incubated it with various human sera collected in 2015-2016. Mutants not neutralized by the human sera were sequenced and further characterized for their haemagglutination inhibition (HI) titers with human sera and with ferret sera raised to H1N1pdm viruses from 2009 to 2015. FINDINGS The largest antigenic changes were conferred by mutations at HA amino acid position 187; interestingly, these antigenic changes were recognized by human, but not by ferret serum. H1N1pdm viruses with amino acid changes at position 187 were very rare until the end of 2018, but have become more frequent since; in fact, the D187A amino acid change is one of the defining changes of clade 6B.1A.5a.1 viruses, which emerged in 2019. INTERPRETATION Our findings indicate that amino acid substitutions in H1N1pdm epitopes may be recognized by human sera, but not by homologous ferret sera. FUNDING This project was supported by funding from the NIAID-funded Center for Research on Influenza Pathogenesis (CRIP, HHSN272201400008C).
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Affiliation(s)
- Shufang Fan
- Influenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53711, USA
| | - Huihui Kong
- Influenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53711, USA
| | - Lavanya Babujee
- Influenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53711, USA
| | - Robert Presler
- Influenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53711, USA
| | - Peter Jester
- Influenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53711, USA
| | - David Burke
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - David Pattinson
- Influenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53711, USA
| | - Ian Barr
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza (VIDRL) at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
| | - Derek Smith
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Gabriele Neumann
- Influenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53711, USA
| | - Yoshihiro Kawaoka
- Influenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53711, USA; Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan; Research Center for Global Viral Diseases, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo 162-8655, Japan; Pandemic Preparedness, Infection and Advanced Research Center (UTOPIA), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 162-8655, Japan.
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Alasiri A, Soltane R, Hegazy A, Khalil AM, Mahmoud SH, Khalil AA, Martinez-Sobrido L, Mostafa A. Vaccination and Antiviral Treatment against Avian Influenza H5Nx Viruses: A Harbinger of Virus Control or Evolution. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1628. [PMID: 38005960 PMCID: PMC10675773 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11111628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the panzootic nature of emergent highly pathogenic avian influenza H5Nx viruses in wild migratory birds and domestic poultry, only a limited number of human infections with H5Nx viruses have been identified since its emergence in 1996. Few countries with endemic avian influenza viruses (AIVs) have implemented vaccination as a control strategy, while most of the countries have adopted a culling strategy for the infected flocks. To date, China and Egypt are the two major sites where vaccination has been adopted to control avian influenza H5Nx infections, especially with the widespread circulation of clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 viruses. This virus is currently circulating among birds and poultry, with occasional spillovers to mammals, including humans. Herein, we will discuss the history of AIVs in Egypt as one of the hotspots for infections and the improper implementation of prophylactic and therapeutic control strategies, leading to continuous flock outbreaks with remarkable virus evolution scenarios. Along with current pre-pandemic preparedness efforts, comprehensive surveillance of H5Nx viruses in wild birds, domestic poultry, and mammals, including humans, in endemic areas is critical to explore the public health risk of the newly emerging immune-evasive or drug-resistant H5Nx variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahlam Alasiri
- Department of Basic Sciences, Adham University College, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia; (A.A.); (R.S.)
| | - Raya Soltane
- Department of Basic Sciences, Adham University College, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia; (A.A.); (R.S.)
| | - Akram Hegazy
- Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza District, Giza 12613, Egypt;
| | - Ahmed Magdy Khalil
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78227, USA;
- Department of Zoonotic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
| | - Sara H. Mahmoud
- Center of Scientific Excellence for Influenza Viruses, National Research Center, Giza 12622, Egypt;
| | - Ahmed A. Khalil
- Veterinary Sera and Vaccines Research Institute (VSVRI), Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Cairo 11435, Egypt;
| | | | - Ahmed Mostafa
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78227, USA;
- Center of Scientific Excellence for Influenza Viruses, National Research Center, Giza 12622, Egypt;
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Kiso M, Furusawa Y, Uraki R, Imai M, Yamayoshi S, Kawaoka Y. In vitro and in vivo characterization of SARS-CoV-2 strains resistant to nirmatrelvir. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3952. [PMID: 37402789 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39704-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Nirmatrelvir, an oral antiviral agent that targets a SARS-CoV-2 main protease (3CLpro), is clinically useful against infection with SARS-CoV-2 including its omicron variants. Since most omicron subvariants have reduced sensitivity to many monoclonal antibody therapies, potential SARS-CoV-2 resistance to nirmatrelvir is a major public health concern. Several amino acid substitutions have been identified as being responsible for reduced susceptibility to nirmatrelvir. Among them, we selected L50F/E166V and L50F/E166A/L167F in the 3CLpro because these combinations of substitutions are unlikely to affect virus fitness. We prepared and characterized delta variants possessing Nsp5-L50F/E166V and Nsp5-L50F/E166A/L167F. Both mutant viruses showed decreased susceptibility to nirmatrelvir and their growth in VeroE6/TMPRSS2 cells was delayed. Both mutant viruses showed attenuated phenotypes in a male hamster infection model, maintained airborne transmissibility, and were outcompeted by wild-type virus in co-infection experiments in the absence of nirmatrelvir, but less so in the presence of the drug. These results suggest that viruses possessing Nsp5-L50F/E166V and Nsp5-L50F/E166A/L167F do not become dominant in nature. However, it is important to closely monitor the emergence of nirmatrelvir-resistant SARS-CoV-2 variants because resistant viruses with additional compensatory mutations could emerge, outcompete the wild-type virus, and become dominant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maki Kiso
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuri Furusawa
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- The Research Center for Global Viral Diseases, National Center for Global Health and Medicine Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ryuta Uraki
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- The Research Center for Global Viral Diseases, National Center for Global Health and Medicine Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masaki Imai
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- The Research Center for Global Viral Diseases, National Center for Global Health and Medicine Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
- International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Seiya Yamayoshi
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
- The Research Center for Global Viral Diseases, National Center for Global Health and Medicine Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan.
- International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Yoshihiro Kawaoka
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
- The Research Center for Global Viral Diseases, National Center for Global Health and Medicine Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan.
- The University of Tokyo Pandemic Preparedness, Infection and Advanced Research Center, Tokyo, Japan.
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA.
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