Phylogenetic analysis of the non-structural (NS) gene of influenza A viruses isolated in Kazakhstan in 2002-2009.

Although the important role of the non-structural (NS1 and NEP) gene of influenza A in virulence of the virus is well established, our knowledge about the extent of variation in the NS gene pool of influenza A viruses in their natural reservoirs in Kazakhstan is incomplete. 17 influenza A viruses of different subtypes were studied in this paper. Seven types of haemagglutinin and five different neuraminidase subtypes in eight combinations were found among the isolated viruses. A comparison of nucleotide sequences of isolated viruses revealed a substantial number of silent mutations, which results in high degree of homology in amino acid sequences. By phylogenetic analysis it was shown that two distinct gene pools, corresponding to both NS allele A with 5 Clades and B, were present at the same time in Kazakhstan. The degree of variation within the alleles was very low. In our study allele A viruses had a maximum of 5% amino acid divergence in Clade while allele B viruses had only 4% amino acid divergence.