Acta Veterinaria et Zootechnica Sinica ›› 2022, Vol. 53 ›› Issue (4): 1165-1172.doi: 10.11843/j.issn.0366-6964.2022.04.016

• PREVENTIVE VETERINARY MEDICINE • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Mutation Analysis of Antigen Sites 145 and 153 on Hemagglutinin of H9N2 Avian Influenza Virus in China

CHEN Zixuan1,2, ZHANG Nan1,2, HU Qun1,2, QUAN Keji1,2, QIN Tao1,2, CHEN Sujuan1,2*, PENG Daxin1,2*, LIU Xiufan1,2   

  1. 1. College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China;
    2. Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou 225009, China
  • Received:2021-07-15 Online:2022-04-23 Published:2022-04-25

Abstract: Antigenic drift on hemagglutinin (HA) protein of H9N2 subtype avian influenza virus (AIV) happens frequently, however, the key antigenic sites for identification of antigenic changes of H9N2 subtype AIV in China remain unclear. Two monoclonal antibodies(mAbs)2E4 and 2D6 with high hemagglutination inhibition (HI) titers against H9N2 subtype AIV were used, and antigenic sites were identified by selection of mAbs escape mutants with H9N2 AIV strain A/Chicken/Shanghai/F/1998. The antigenic profile of representative strains of H9N2 subtype AIV in 2017-2019 was investigated by HI assay using mAbs 2E4 or 2D6. The relationship between antigenic sites and genotype and variation characteristic of antigenic sites for H9N2 AIV in China were also analyzed. Two antigen sites 145 and 153 on the globe of HA protein of H9N2 AIV were identified by mAbs 2E4 or 2D6. H9N2 AIVs isolated in Eastern China in 2017-2019 were divided into two major branches:Group 1 and Group 2, according to the genetic distance of the HA gene. The representative viruses in Group 1 had good reactoin with two mAbs. In contrast, the viruses in Group 2 had poor reaction with two mAbs. Sequence analysis showed that S145D (16/16) and D153G (15/16) mutation happened in the viruses of Group 2. Natural mutation rate analysis showed that the rates of H9N2 subtype AIV strains isolated in China in 1996-2021 with 145D or 153G have risen to 68% or 66%, respectively, which become prevailing strains. The mAb 2E4 may be a tool for antigenic typing of the prevailing H9N2 subtype AIV, and antigenic site 145 may be one of molecular target to identify the difference between Group 1 and Group 2.

Key words: H9N2 subtype AIV, HA, antigenic variation, escape mutant from monoclonal antibody, antigenic site

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