title: Sequence and phylogenetic analysis of surface protein genes of emerging H9N2 influenza viruses isolated from poultry in two geographical regions of China.
abstract: Subtype H9N2 avian influenza viruses (AIVs) circulating in China have aroused increasing concerns for their impact on poultry and risk to public health. The present study was an attempt to elucidate the phylogenetic relationship of H9N2 AIVs in two geographically distinct regions of China where vaccination is routinely practiced. A total of 18 emerging H9N2 isolates were identified and genetically characterized. Phylogenetic analysis of hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genes confirmed that the isolates belonged to the Y280 lineage. Based on the HA genes, the isolates were subdivided into two subgroups. The viruses from Zhejiang Province were clustered together in Group I, while the isolates from Guangdong Province were clustered together in Group II. Antigenic characterization showed that the tested viruses were antigenically different when compared to the current used vaccine strain. It was notable that 14 out of total 18 isolates had an amino acid exchange (Q→L) at position 216 (226 by H3 Numbering) in the receptor-binding site, which indicated that the virus had potential affinity of binding to human like receptor. These results suggest that the emerging viruses have potential risk to public health than previously thought. Therefore, continuous surveillance studies of H9N2 influenza virus are very important to the prognosis and control of future influenza pandemics.
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Jing-Lan
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhuan-Qiang
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Guang-Wei
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Shun-Yan
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xiang-Bin
authors.initials: XB
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jian-Ping
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Hai-Yan
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Shuang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ying-Zuo
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Bee
authors.forename: Qing-Mei
authors.initials: QM
authors.lastname: Xie
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D000818:Animals; D002642:Chick Embryo; D002645:Chickens; D002681:China; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D053127:Influenza A Virus, H9N2 Subtype / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000821:virology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus; C113875:msn protein, Drosophila; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases