Neurovirulence in mice of H5N1 influenza virus genotypes isolated from Hong Kong poultry in 2001.
We studied the pathogenicity of five different genotypes (A to E) of highly pathogenic avian H5N1 viruses, which contained HA genes similar to those of the H5N1 virus A/goose/Guangdong/1/96 and five different combinations of "internal" genes, in a mouse model. Highly pathogenic, neurotropic variants of genotypes A, C, D, and E were isolated from the brain after a single intranasal passage in mice. Genotype B virus was isolated from lungs only. The mouse brain variants had amino acid changes in all gene products except PB1, NP, and NS1 proteins but no common sets of mutations. We conclude that the original H5N1/01 isolates of genotypes A, C, D, and E were heterogeneous and that highly pathogenic neurotropic variants can be rapidly selected in mice.
Lipatov
Aleksandr S
AS
Division of Virology, Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, University of Tennessee, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, USA.
Krauss
Scott
S
Guan
Yi
Y
Peiris
Malik
M
Rehg
Jerold E
JE
Perez
Daniel R
DR
Webster
Robert G
RG
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D002460:Cell Line; D020805:Central Nervous System Viral Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000821:virology; D002645:Chickens / Q000821:virology; D006723:Hong Kong; D053124:Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000821:virology*; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009928:Organ Specificity; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D010948:Viral Plaque Assay; D014774:Virulence