title: Is the optimal pH for membrane fusion in host cells by avian influenza viruses related to host range and pathogenicity?
abstract: Influenza viruses isolated from wild ducks do not replicate in chickens. This fact is not explained solely by the receptor specificity of the hemagglutinin (HA) from such viruses for target host cells. To investigate this restriction in host range, the fusion activities of HA molecules from duck and chicken influenza viruses were examined. Influenza viruses A/duck/Mongolia/54/2001 (H5N2) (Dk/MNG) and A/chicken/Ibaraki/1/2005 (H5N2) (Ck/IBR), which replicate only in their primary hosts, were used. The optimal pH for membrane fusion of Ck/IBR was 5.9, higher than that of Dk/MNG at 4.9. To assess the relationship between the optimal pH for fusion and the host range of avian influenza viruses, the optimal pH for fusion of 55 influenza virus strains isolated from ducks and chickens was examined. No correlation was found between the host range and optimal pH for membrane fusion by the viruses, and this finding applied also to the H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses. The optimal pH for membrane fusion for avian influenza viruses was shown to not necessarily be correlated with their host range or pathogenicity in ducks and chickens.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0818, Japan.
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okamatsu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0818, Japan.
authors.forename: Yurie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Motohashi
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0818, Japan.
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hiono
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0818, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomokazu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0818, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagaya
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0818, Japan.|Global Station for Zoonosis Control, Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education (GI-CoRE), Hokkaido University, Kita-20 Nishi-10, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 001-0020, Japan.
authors.forename: Keita
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsuno
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0818, Japan.|Global Station for Zoonosis Control, Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education (GI-CoRE), Hokkaido University, Kita-20 Nishi-10, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 001-0020, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sakoda
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0818, Japan. kida@vetmed.hokudai.ac.jp.|Global Station for Zoonosis Control, Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education (GI-CoRE), Hokkaido University, Kita-20 Nishi-10, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 001-0020, Japan. kida@vetmed.hokudai.ac.jp.|Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Kita-20 Nishi-10, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 001-0020, Hokkaido, Japan. kida@vetmed.hokudai.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kida
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002645:Chickens; D004372:Ducks; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D058507:Host Specificity; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D053124:Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology*; D053125:Influenza A Virus, H5N2 Subtype / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology*; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology*; D008561:Membrane Fusion; D010802:Phylogeny; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology*; D014774:Virulence; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus