Evolution of influenza neuraminidase and the detection of antiviral resistant strains using mass trees.

A new approach employing mass trees is described and implemented which enables the evolution of influenza neuraminidase across all subtypes (N1-N9) in human and animal hosts to be monitored and charted without gene or protein sequencing. These mass trees are shown to be congruent with sequence based trees. Such trees can be built solely from the masses of the proteolytic peptide ions of viral proteins recorded by a mass spectrometer. They are shown to be able to correctly chart the evolutionary history of human pandemic influenza viruses, which originated in animal hosts, and can also resolve antiviral resistant from sensitive strains. Furthermore, experimental mass map data recorded for a circulating strain is correctly positioned onto a mass tree so as to quickly establish its evolutionary history and identify whether it is resistant or sensitive to the antiviral inhibitor oseltamivir. This new computational approach is expected to find wider application for evolutionary studies of organisms more generally.