Crystal structures of oseltamivir-resistant influenza virus neuraminidase mutants

The potential impact of pandemic influenza makes effective measures to limit the spread and morbidity of virus infection a public health priority. Antiviral drugs are seen as essential requirements for control of initial influenza outbreaks caused by a new virus, and in pre-pandemic plans there is a heavy reliance on drug stockpiles. The principal target for these drugs is a virus surface glycoprotein, neuraminidase, which facilitates the release of nascent virus and thus the spread of infection. Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza) are two currently used neuraminidase inhibitors that were developed using knowledge of the enzyme structure. It has been proposed that the closer such inhibitors resemble the natural substrate, the less likely they are to select drug-resistant mutant viruses that retain viability. However, there have been reports of drug-resistant mutant selection in vitro and from infected humans. We report here the enzymatic properties and crystal structures of neuraminidase mutants from H5N1-infected patients that explain the molecular basis of resistance. Our results show that these mutants are resistant to oseltamivir but still strongly inhibited by zanamivir owing to an altered hydrophobic pocket in the active site of the enzyme required for oseltamivir binding. Together with recent reports of the viability and pathogenesis of H5N1 (ref. 7) and H1N1 (ref. 8) viruses with neuraminidases carrying these mutations, our results indicate that it would be prudent for pandemic stockpiles of oseltamivir to be augmented by additional antiviral drugs, including zanamivir.     

Three-dimensional structure of a complex of antibody with influenza virus neuraminidase

The structure of a complex between influenza virus neuraminidase and an antibody displays features inconsistent with the inflexible 'lock and key' model of antigen-antibody binding. The structure of the antigen changes on binding, and that of the antibody may also change; the interaction therefore has some of the character of a handshake.     

Antigenic epitope peptides of influenza H3N2 virus neuraminidase gene based on experiments

The neuraminidase (NA) in viral surface is one of the main subtype-specific antigen of influenza type A viruses.Neuraminidase is an enzyme to break the bonds between hemagglutinin (HA) and sialic acid to release newly formed viruses from infected cells.In this study,the H3N2 subtype virus NA genes were sequenced and NA proteins were screened for B-cell epitopes and assessed based on immunoinformatics.Based on this results,four peptides DR6,EY7,VG8 and RE8 (covering amino acid residues 151-156,368-374,398-405 and 428-435,respectively) of the NA protein were synthesized artificially.These peptides were used to immunize New Zealand rabbits subcutaneously to raise antisera.Experimental results showed that these four peptides were capable of eliciting antibodies against H3N2 viruses in a specific and sensitive feature,detected in vitro by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Moreover,hemadsorption anti-releasing effects took place in three three-antisera-mixtures at a dilution of 1:40.Alignment using NA gene database showed that amino acid residues in these four epitope peptides were substituted at specific sites in all the NAs sequenced in this study.It was suggested that these NA epitope peptides might be used in combination with HA proteins as vaccine antigens.     

The structure of H5N1 avian influenza neuraminidase suggests new opportunities for drug design

The worldwide spread of H5N1 avian influenza has raised concerns that this virus might acquire the ability to pass readily among humans and cause a pandemic. Two anti-influenza drugs currently being used to treat infected patients are oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza), both of which target the neuraminidase enzyme of the virus. Reports of the emergence of drug resistance make the development of new anti-influenza molecules a priority. Neuraminidases from influenza type A viruses form two genetically distinct groups: group-1 contains the N1 neuraminidase of the H5N1 avian virus and group-2 contains the N2 and N9 enzymes used for the structure-based design of current drugs. Here we show by X-ray crystallography that these two groups are structurally distinct. Group-1 neuraminidases contain a cavity adjacent to their active sites that closes on ligand binding. Our analysis suggests that it may be possible to exploit the size and location of the group-1 cavity to develop new anti-influenza drugs.     

TritonX-100裂解流感病毒的研究

 在流感病毒高浓度条件下,寻找TritonX-100裂解流感病毒的适宜条件.在不同条件下用TritonX-100裂解WHO推荐用2007～2008年度流感病毒疫苗毒株制备的3个亚型的流感病毒,用电镜观察裂解程度,通过蔗糖密度梯度离心纯化抗原后免疫动物,以检测疫苗的免疫效果.结果表明当流感病毒的血凝效价是1:16382,裂解时间为24h时,TritonX-100在质量分数为1%可以完全地裂解B型,质量分数达到2%才可以完全裂解流感病毒H1N1和H3N2,这说明TritonX-100对A,B亚型毒株的裂解效果不同.由于每年都要更换毒株工人生产新的流感疫苗,因此应该对使用TritonX-100的裂解不同亚型的流感病毒条件进行研究,以保证裂解疫苗的质量.     

The genomic and epidemiological dynamics of human influenza A virus

The evolutionary interaction between influenza A virus and the human immune system, manifest as 'antigenic drift' of the viral haemagglutinin, is one of the best described patterns in molecular evolution. However, little is known about the genome-scale evolutionary dynamics of this pathogen. Similarly, how genomic processes relate to global influenza epidemiology, in which the A/H3N2 and A/H1N1 subtypes co-circulate, is poorly understood. Here through an analysis of 1,302 complete viral genomes sampled from temperate populations in both hemispheres, we show that the genomic evolution of influenza A virus is characterized by a complex interplay between frequent reassortment and periodic selective sweeps. The A/H3N2 and A/H1N1 subtypes exhibit different evolutionary dynamics, with diverse lineages circulating in A/H1N1, indicative of weaker antigenic drift. These results suggest a sink-source model of viral ecology in which new lineages are seeded from a persistent influenza reservoir, which we hypothesize to be located in the tropics, to sink populations in temperate regions.     

神经氨酸苷酶抑制剂研究进展

神经氨酸苷酶(NA)是流感病毒的一种主要表面糖蛋白,在病毒致病过程中起重要作用.本文对以NA为药物靶点,设计的各种NA抑制剂作以综述.     

Special features of the 2009 pandemic swine-origin influenza A H1N1 hemagglutinin and neuraminidase

Since the 2009 pandemic H1N1 swine-origin influenza A virus (09 S-OIV) has reminded the world about the global threat of the ever changing influenza virus,many questions regarding the detailed re-assortment of influenza viruses yet remain unanswered.Influenza A virus is the causative agent of the pandemic flu and contains 2 major antigenic glycoproteins on its surface:(i) hemagglutinin (HA);and (ii) neuraminidase (NA).The structures of the 09 S-OIV HA and NA proteins (09H1 and 09N1) have recently been resolved in our laboratory and provide some clues as to why the 09 S-OIV re-assortment virus is highly infectious with severe consequences in humans.For example,the 09H1 is highly similar to the HA of the 1918 influenza A pandemic virus in overall structure and especially in regards to its 5 defined antibody binding epitopes.For 09N1,its most distinctive feature is the lack of a 150-loop active site cavity,which was previously predicted to be present in all N1 NAs,and we hypothesize that the 150-loop may play a important role in the substrate specificity (α2,3 or α2,6 linked sialic acid receptors) and enzymatic mechanism of influenza NA.Combination of the HA and NA with special characteristics for the 09 S-OIV might contribute to its high increased transmissibility in humans.     

甲型流感病毒感染BALB/c鼠动物模型的建立

目的:建立甲型流感病毒感染BALB/c鼠动物模型,为研究病毒变异、致病机制及抗病毒药物筛选提供模型动物.方法:通过滴鼻的方法将甲型流感病毒感染到BALB/c鼠,观察小鼠的症状和组织病理改变.结果:BALB/c鼠的临床症状明显,病理变化典型.结论:甲型流感病毒感染BALB/c鼠的疾病模型建成.     

The mechanism by which influenza A virus nucleoprotein forms oligomers and binds RNA

Influenza A viruses pose a serious threat to world public health, particularly the currently circulating avian H5N1 viruses. The influenza viral nucleoprotein forms the protein scaffold of the helical genomic ribonucleoprotein complexes, and has a critical role in viral RNA replication. Here we report a 3.2 A crystal structure of this nucleoprotein, the overall shape of which resembles a crescent with a head and a body domain, with a protein fold different compared with that of the rhabdovirus nucleoprotein. Oligomerization of the influenza virus nucleoprotein is mediated by a flexible tail loop that is inserted inside a neighbouring molecule. This flexibility in the tail loop enables the nucleoprotein to form loose polymers as well as rigid helices, both of which are important for nucleoprotein functions. Single residue mutations in the tail loop result in the complete loss of nucleoprotein oligomerization. An RNA-binding groove, which is found between the head and body domains at the exterior of the nucleoprotein oligomer, is lined with highly conserved basic residues widely distributed in the primary sequence. The nucleoprotein structure shows that only one of two proposed nuclear localization signals are accessible, and suggests that the body domain of nucleoprotein contains the binding site for the viral polymerase. Our results identify the tail loop binding pocket as a potential target for antiviral development.     

探讨基于平衡能的禽流感病毒结构分析

该文针对高致病禽流感病毒中的H5N1亚型,利用平衡能的方法,从二级结构的角度,对19株病毒做出功能分类,针对其所包含的八个片段,进行关联分析,对于不同片段对病毒的生物特性的影响做出解释。