Predicted Enhanced Human Propensity of Current Avian-Like H1N1 Swine Influenza Virus from China

Veljko Veljkovic; Nevena Veljkovic; Slobodan Paessler; Marco Goeijenbier; Vladimir Perovic; Sanja Glisic; Claude P Muller

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0165451

Predicted Enhanced Human Propensity of Current Avian-Like H1N1 Swine Influenza Virus from China

PLoS One. 2016 Nov 9;11(11):e0165451. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0165451. eCollection 2016.

Authors

Veljko Veljkovic¹, Nevena Veljkovic¹, Slobodan Paessler², Marco Goeijenbier³, Vladimir Perovic¹, Sanja Glisic¹, Claude P Muller⁴

Affiliations

¹ Center for Multidisciplinary Research, Institute of Nuclear Sciences Vinca, University of Belgrade, Mihajla Petrovica 12-14, 11001 Belgrade, Serbia.
² Department of Pathology, Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, TX, United States of America.
³ Department of Viroscience, Erasmus Universitair Medisch Centrum Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
⁴ Department of Infection and Immunity, Luxembourg Institute of Health, 29, rue Henri Koch, L-4534 Esch-Alzette, Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg.

Abstract

Influenza A virus (IAV) subtypes against which little or no pre-existing immunity exists in humans represent a serious threat to global public health. Monitoring of IAV in animal hosts is essential for early and rapid detection of potential pandemic IAV strains to prevent their spread. Recently, the increased pandemic potential of the avian-like swine H1N1 IAV A/swine/Guangdong/104/2013 has been suggested. The virus is infectious in humans and the general population seems to lack neutralizing antibodies against this virus. Here we present an in silico analysis that shows a strong human propensity of this swine virus further confirming its pandemic potential. We suggest mutations which would further enhance its human propensity. We also propose conserved antigenic determinants which could serve as a component of a prepandemic vaccine. The bioinformatics tool, which can be used to further monitor the evolution of swine influenza viruses towards a pandemic virus, are described here and are made publically available (http://www.vin.bg.ac.rs/180/tools/iav_mon.php; http://www.biomedprotection.com/iav_mon.php).

MeSH terms

Animals
Antibodies, Neutralizing / biosynthesis
Antibodies, Viral / biosynthesis
Antigens, Viral / genetics
Antigens, Viral / immunology*
Bird Diseases / epidemiology*
Bird Diseases / immunology
Bird Diseases / prevention & control
Bird Diseases / virology
Birds
China / epidemiology
Computational Biology
Conserved Sequence
Europe / epidemiology
Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus / genetics
Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus / immunology*
Humans
Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / classification
Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / genetics
Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / immunology*
Influenza Vaccines / administration & dosage
Influenza Vaccines / biosynthesis
Internet
Mutation
Orthomyxoviridae Infections / epidemiology*
Orthomyxoviridae Infections / immunology
Orthomyxoviridae Infections / prevention & control
Orthomyxoviridae Infections / virology
Pandemics / prevention & control*
Phylogeny
Software
Swine
Swine Diseases / epidemiology*
Swine Diseases / immunology
Swine Diseases / prevention & control
Swine Diseases / virology

Substances

Antibodies, Neutralizing
Antibodies, Viral
Antigens, Viral
H1N1 virus hemagglutinin
Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus
Influenza Vaccines

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia (Grant no. 173001). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.