title: Molecular characterization of the surface glycoprotein genes of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza viruses detected in Iran in 2011.
abstract: Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus is causing the death of a large number of wild birds and poultry. HPAI H5N1 was reported in the north of Iran in 2011. In this study, two A/Chicken/Iran/271/2011 and A/Duck/Iran/178/2011 viruses were genetically characterized by sequence analysis of Hemagglutinin (HA) and Neuraminidase (NA) genes. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that these viruses were different from previous Iranian isolates (Clade 2.2) and belonged to the subclade 2.3.2.1. The results showed that the detected viruses are almost identical to each other and closely related to HPAI H5N1 strains isolated in Mongolia in 2010. Based on the amino acid sequence analysis, these viruses at their HA cleavage sites contained the multibasic amino acid motif PQRERRRK-R/GLF lacking a lysine residue compared with the previous reports of the same motif. There is also a 20-amino acid deletion (resides 49-69) in the NA stalk similar to other viruses isolated after 2000. It seems that introduction of HPAI H5N1 to Iran might have happened by wild birds from Mongolian origin virus.
authors.affiliation: Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Karaj, Iran.
authors.forename: Ebrahim
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kord
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaffashi
authors.forename: Hadi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ghadakchi
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Eshratabadi
authors.forename: Zakaria
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bameri
authors.forename: Abdelhamed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shoushtari
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000235:genetics; D001717:Birds; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral / Q000502:physiology; D006388:Hemagglutinins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D053124:Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D007492:Iran; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D009439:Neuraminidase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D010802:Phylogeny
chemical_list: D006388:Hemagglutinins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D009439:Neuraminidase