title: Complete nucleotide sequence of the influenza B/Singapore/222/79 virus hemagglutinin gene and comparison with the B/Lee/40 hemagglutinin.
abstract: The complete nucleotide sequence of the hemagglutinin (HA) gene of the human type B influenza virus B/Singapore/222/79 is presented. Comparison with the only other known sequence of a B hemagglutinin (B/Lee/40) shows that antigenic drift in type B HA genes is essentially the same as already observed within the influenza A H3 subtype, i.e., an accumulation of point mutations. The main difference is that the apparent evolution is significantly slower, most likely due to the cumulative effect of a lower occurrence in the population (slower evolution) and/or less immunological pressure. There is a striking cluster of changes at positions 127 until 137 of the HA1 subunit which may represent one of the antigenic sites of the molecule.
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000667:Ampicillin / Q000494:pharmacology; D001483:Base Sequence; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D005796:Genes; D005814:Genes, Viral; D006027:Glycosides / Q000032:analysis; D006388:Hemagglutinins / Q000235:genetics*; D009975:Orthomyxoviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D010403:Penicillin Resistance; D010957:Plasmids; D013045:Species Specificity; D013752:Tetracycline / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D006027:Glycosides; D006388:Hemagglutinins; D000667:Ampicillin; D013752:Tetracycline