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Is the optimal pH for membrane fusion in host cells by avian influenza viruses related to host range and pathogenicity?

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Abstract

Influenza viruses isolated from wild ducks do not replicate in chickens. This fact is not explained solely by the receptor specificity of the hemagglutinin (HA) from such viruses for target host cells. To investigate this restriction in host range, the fusion activities of HA molecules from duck and chicken influenza viruses were examined. Influenza viruses A/duck/Mongolia/54/2001 (H5N2) (Dk/MNG) and A/chicken/Ibaraki/1/2005 (H5N2) (Ck/IBR), which replicate only in their primary hosts, were used. The optimal pH for membrane fusion of Ck/IBR was 5.9, higher than that of Dk/MNG at 4.9. To assess the relationship between the optimal pH for fusion and the host range of avian influenza viruses, the optimal pH for fusion of 55 influenza virus strains isolated from ducks and chickens was examined. No correlation was found between the host range and optimal pH for membrane fusion by the viruses, and this finding applied also to the H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses. The optimal pH for membrane fusion for avian influenza viruses was shown to not necessarily be correlated with their host range or pathogenicity in ducks and chickens.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported in part by a grant from the Global Centers of Excellence Program from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. The present work was also supported in part by J-GRID; the Japan Initiative for Global Research Network on Infectious Diseases and Japan Science and Technology Agency Basic Research Programs, JSPS KAKENHI 26850178, and the Program for Leading Graduate Schools (F01) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0818, Japan

    Masatoshi Okamatsu, Yurie Motohashi, Takahiro Hiono, Tomokazu Tamura, Kazuki Nagaya, Keita Matsuno, Yoshihiro Sakoda & Hiroshi Kida

  2. Global Station for Zoonosis Control, Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education (GI-CoRE), Hokkaido University, Kita-20 Nishi-10, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 001-0020, Japan

    Keita Matsuno, Yoshihiro Sakoda & Hiroshi Kida

  3. Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Kita-20 Nishi-10, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 001-0020, Hokkaido, Japan

    Hiroshi Kida

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  1. Masatoshi Okamatsu
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  2. Yurie Motohashi
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  3. Takahiro Hiono
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  4. Tomokazu Tamura
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  5. Kazuki Nagaya
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  6. Keita Matsuno
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  7. Yoshihiro Sakoda
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  8. Hiroshi Kida
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Correspondence to Hiroshi Kida.

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Okamatsu, M., Motohashi, Y., Hiono, T. et al. Is the optimal pH for membrane fusion in host cells by avian influenza viruses related to host range and pathogenicity?. Arch Virol 161, 2235–2242 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00705-016-2902-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00705-016-2902-z

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