Science · 2001 · 1.3K citations · 19 references
Life SciencesInfectious DiseasesMolecular BiologyHost-pathogen InteractionsMolecular VirologyVirologyViral GeneticsViral GenomicsViral InfectionsViral PathogenesisViral PathologyVirulence EvolutionAvian Influenza InfectionAvian Influenza VirusAvian Influenza VirusesDisease VirulenceMolecular Basis Of AvirulenceMolecular Evolution Of PathogensVirulence PhenotypingVirulence Variation
In 1997, an H5N1 influenza A virus was transmitted from birds to humans in Hong Kong, killing 6 of the 18 people infected. When mice were infected with the human isolates, two virulence groups became apparent. Using reverse genetics, we showed that a mutation at position 627 in the PB2 protein influenced the outcome of infection in mice. Moreover, high cleavability of the hemagglutinin glycoprotein was an essential requirement for lethal infection.
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