title: A single amino acid substitution in 1918 influenza virus hemagglutinin changes receptor binding specificity.
abstract: The receptor binding specificity of influenza viruses may be important for host restriction of human and avian viruses. Here, we show that the hemagglutinin (HA) of the virus that caused the 1918 influenza pandemic has strain-specific differences in its receptor binding specificity. The A/South Carolina/1/18 HA preferentially binds the alpha2,6 sialic acid (human) cellular receptor, whereas the A/New York/1/18 HA, which differs by only one amino acid, binds both the alpha2,6 and the alpha2,3 sialic acid (avian) cellular receptors. Compared to the conserved consensus sequence in the receptor binding site of avian HAs, only a single amino acid at position 190 was changed in the A/New York/1/18 HA. Mutation of this single amino acid back to the avian consensus resulted in a preference for the avian receptor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA.
authors.forename: Laurel
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Glaser
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: Dmitriy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zamarin
authors.forename: Ian A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Adolfo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: García-Sastre
authors.forename: Terrence M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Tumpey
authors.forename: Christopher F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Basler
authors.forename: Jeffery K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Taubenberger
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Palese
mesh_terms: D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D004912:Erythrocytes; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D009975:Orthomyxoviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000821:virology; D011991:Receptors, Virus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus; D011991:Receptors, Virus; C483468:hemagglutinin, human influenza A virus; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid