title: [Prediction and evolution of B cell epitopes of hemagglutinin in human-infecting H6N1 avian influenza virus].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To predict B cell epitopes of hemagglutinin (HA) of human-infecting H6N1 avian influenza virus and analyze their evolutionary characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  The dataset was downloaded from GISAID and GenBank databases. And the linear and conformational B cell epitopes of HA were predicted separately by various bioinformatic software. Furthermore, the conservation, adaptation and other evolutionary characteristics were also analyzed by some bioinformatic means.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four linear epitopes (A, B, C and D) and two conformational epitopes (E and F) were obtained after consideration of multiple factors. And the C epitope and sites ( 41, 157, 186, 187) mutated easily, but the other epitopes were very conservative and the D epitope was the most conservative. Interestingly, the site 157 was identified under positive selection, suggesting that it may be a particularly important site to make the virus evade the attack from the host immune system.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The HA of human-infecting H6N1 avian influenza virus has five conservative B cell epitopes (three linear and two conformational) and one site under positive selection. The findings would facilitate the vaccine development, virus control and pathogenesis understanding.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biology, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu 241002 , China.
authors.forename: Jianke
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000 , China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biology, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu 241002 , China.
authors.forename: Jiguang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biology, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu 241002 , China.
authors.forename: Xiaolei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biology, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu 241002 , China.
authors.forename: Aiqin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D019295:Computational Biology; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000821:virology*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000821:virology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D011200:Poultry
chemical_list: D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus