title: Adaptation of a natural reassortant H5N2 avian influenza virus in mice.
abstract: It is reported that the H5N2 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus A/chicken/Hebei/1102/2010 (HB10) is a natural reassortant between circulating H5N1 and endemic H9N2 influenza viruses. To evaluate the potential of its interspecies transmission, the wild-type HB10 was adapted in mice through serial lung passages. Increased virulence was detectable in 5 sequential lung passages in mice and a highly virulent mouse-adapted strain (HB10-MA) with a 50% mouse lethal dose of 10(2.5) 50% egg infectious dose was obtained in 15 passages. The virulence and the replication efficiency of HB10-MA in mice were significantly higher than those of HB10 while HB10-MA grew faster and to significantly higher titers than HB10 in MDCK and A549 cells. Only five amino acid mutations in four viral proteins (HA-S227N, PB2-Q591K, PB2-D701N, PA-I554V and NP-R351K) of HB10-MA virus were found when compared with those of HB10, indicating that they may be responsible for the adaptation of the novel reassortant H5N2 avian influenza virus in mice with increased virulence and replication efficiency. The results in this study provide helpful insights into the pathogenic potential of novel reassortant H5N2 viruses to mammals that deserves further attentions.
authors.affiliation: Animal Infectious Disease Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Qunhui
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Animal Infectious Disease Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Xuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Animal Infectious Disease Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: Animal Infectious Disease Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China; Ministry of Education Key Lab for Avian Preventive Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoquan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Animal Infectious Disease Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Zhongtao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Animal Infectious Disease Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Zhao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Animal Infectious Disease Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Zhu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Animal Infectious Disease Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Animal Infectious Disease Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China; Ministry of Education Key Lab for Avian Preventive Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: Animal Infectious Disease Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China; Ministry of Education Key Lab for Avian Preventive Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Xiaowen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Animal Infectious Disease Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China; Ministry of Education Key Lab for Avian Preventive Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China. Electronic address: xfliu@yzu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xiufan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053125:Influenza A Virus, H5N2 Subtype / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000821:virology*; D016865:Reassortant Viruses / Q000235:genetics*; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
keywords: Avian influenza virus; H5N2; H7N9; Mouse-adapted; Pathogenicity; Reassortant