[Biological significance of amino acids deletion in NA stalk of H5N1 avian influenza virus].

It has been reported that NA gene of some H1N1 Influenza A virus strains isolated since 1933 is characterized by a deletion of 11 to 16 amino acids in the stalk. The spontaneous mutant in NA stalk of H1N1 virus lacks enzyme activity with large substrate (fetuin) but not with small substrate (sialyllactose). Recently, H5N1 virus also has been found that NA has the same unique mutation in the stalk, a deletion of 15 to 20 amino acids. However, biological significance of this mutation has not yet been reported. In order to investigate biological significance of the amino acids deletion in NA stalk of H5N1, five reassorted H5N1/PR8 viruses were generated via eight-plasmid based reverse genetics system. These five viruses were named 506, m506-, 646, m646+ and 196, respectively. The six internal genes of recombinants were all from A/PR8/34(H1N1), and HA gene was from A/G/JS/03(H5N1), however, they had different NA genes. 506 and m506- held NA fragments derived from A/G/HD/00(H5N1), and the former was distinguished with a longer NA which had no 20 amino acids deletion in the stalk. 646 and m646+ held NA fragments from A/G/JS/03(H5N1), and the NA stalk of m646+ was 20 amino acids longer than that of 646. The NA of 196 was derived from A/PR8/34 which had 15 amino acids deletion in its stalk. Biological characteristics of these viruses showed that recombinants with different NA length could grow well in embryonated SPF eggs, and their EID50, MDT, and viral titers were similar. However, the length of NA was related to the capacity of eluting viruses from erythrocytes for 506 and 646+ which holding longer NA stalks eluted from erythrocytes more quickly than m506-, 646 and 196 did. Moreover, 15 or 20 amino acids deletion in NA stalk had a pronounced effect on virus growth ability in MDCK cells. Viral titers in supernatant of MDCK infected with m506- or 646 were 10 to 100 folds higher than those infected by 506 or m646+. And the plaque size of m506- and 646 were larger than that of 506 and m646+. The results reveals that H5N1 AIV with amino acids deletion in NA stalk would expand its host range. The unique amino acids deletion in NA molecule of H5N1 may be associated with the adaptation of virus to terrestrial poultry or the increasing ability of interspecies transmission.