Binding exclusively to human-type receptors is a prerequisite for avian influenza viruses to transmit from human to human. We previously reported that 34% of H6 avian influenza viruses recognize the human-type receptor, but their affinity for the avian-type receptor remains higher than that for the human-type receptor. Here, we found that a single amino acid change from glutamine to leucine at position 226 of hemagglutinin caused a switch in receptor-binding preference from avian-type to human-type receptors and rendered A/chicken/Guangdong/S1312/2010(H6N2) capable of respiratory droplet transmission in guinea pigs.
All Keywords
【저자키워드】 guinea pigs, receptor-binding, H6 subtype avian influenza viruses, Respiratory droplet transmission.,
【저자키워드】 guinea pigs, receptor-binding, H6 subtype avian influenza viruses, Respiratory droplet transmission.,