FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 10000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Virology2015; 481; 187-198; doi: 10.1016/j.virol.2015.02.027

Using epidemics to map H3 equine influenza virus determinants of antigenicity.

Abstract: Equine influenza is a major cause of respiratory infections in horses and causes widespread epidemics, despite the availability of commercial vaccines. Antigenic drift within the haemagglutinin (HA) glycoprotein is thought to play a part in vaccination breakdown. Here, we carried out a detailed investigation of the 1989 UK outbreak, using reverse genetics and site-directed mutagenesis, to determine the individual contribution of amino acid substitutions within HA. Mutations at positions 159, 189 and 227 all altered antigenicity, as measured by haemagglutination-inhibition assays. We also compared HA sequences for epidemic and vaccine strains from four epidemics and found that at least 8 amino acid differences were present, affecting multiple antigenic sites. Substitutions within antigenic site B and at least one other were associated with each outbreak, we also identified changes in loop regions close to antigenic sites that have not previously been highlighted for human H3 influenza viruses.
Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2015-03-19 PubMed ID: 25797606DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2015.02.027Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
LinkedInCopy
  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The researchers, in this study, have investigated the impact of specific changes in the glycoprotein haemagglutinin (HA) of the equine influenza virus on the effectiveness of vaccines. They found that particular mutations in the HA protein led to changes in the virus’s antigenicity, potentially contributing to the occurrence of global epidemics despite vaccination efforts.

Dissecting the Study

  • The main focus of the research was to understand the reason behind the recurrent epidemics of equine influenza, a prime cause of respiratory infections in horses, even with the presence of commercial vaccines. An existing hypothesis suggests that changes in the haemagglutinin (HA) glycoprotein, known as antigenic drift, might cause vaccines to become ineffective.
  • For a more nuanced understanding, the researchers delved into the details of the UK’s equine influenza outbreak in 1989. They used techniques called reverse genetics and site-directed mutagenesis, which can manipulate the genetic material of the virus to observe changes in its behavior.
  • The outcome of this intricate process revealed that changes or mutations at several positions (159, 189, and 227) within HA led to changes in the virus’s antigenicity, as assessed using haemagglutination-inhibition assays. Antigenicity refers to the ability of an antigen to bind with specific antibodies, a key process in triggering an immune response.

Comparative Study and Key Findings

  • In the next phase of the research, the team compared HA sequences from the virus strains involved in the epidemic and those used in vaccines from four different outbreaks. The comparison revealed a minimum of eight amino acid differences, affecting multiple antigenic sites.
  • Notably, the substitutions within antigenic site B and at least one other site were identified with every outbreak under study.
  • In addition to the known antigenic sites, the study also highlighted changes in the loop regions adjacent to these sites, something not previously emphasized for human H3 influenza viruses. These alterations might have roles in influencing the virus’s antigenicity and the associated immune response.
  • Overall, this study provides clear evidence that specific genetic mutations within the equine influenza virus can alter its antigenicity, potentially leading to vaccination failure and subsequent epidemics. This understanding could be significant in developing more effective vaccines in the future.

Cite This Article

APA
Woodward A, Rash AS, Medcalf E, Bryant NA, Elton DM. (2015). Using epidemics to map H3 equine influenza virus determinants of antigenicity. Virology, 481, 187-198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.virol.2015.02.027

Publication

Virology
ISSN: 1096-0341
NlmUniqueID: 0110674
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 481
Pages: 187-198
PII: S0042-6822(15)00073-2

Researcher Affiliations

Woodward, Alana
  • Centre for Preventive Medicine, Animal Health Trust, Lanwades Park, Kentford, Newmarket CB8 7UU, UK. Electronic address: alana.woodward@aht.org.uk.
Rash, Adam S
  • Centre for Preventive Medicine, Animal Health Trust, Lanwades Park, Kentford, Newmarket CB8 7UU, UK. Electronic address: adam.rash@aht.org.uk.
Medcalf, Elizabeth
  • Centre for Preventive Medicine, Animal Health Trust, Lanwades Park, Kentford, Newmarket CB8 7UU, UK. Electronic address: elizabeth.medcalf@aht.org.uk.
Bryant, Neil A
  • Centre for Preventive Medicine, Animal Health Trust, Lanwades Park, Kentford, Newmarket CB8 7UU, UK. Electronic address: neil.bryant@aht.org.uk.
Elton, Debra M
  • Centre for Preventive Medicine, Animal Health Trust, Lanwades Park, Kentford, Newmarket CB8 7UU, UK. Electronic address: debra.elton@aht.org.uk.

MeSH Terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Antigenic Variation
  • Epitope Mapping
  • Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus / chemistry
  • Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus / genetics
  • Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus / immunology
  • Horse Diseases / epidemiology
  • Horse Diseases / virology
  • Horses
  • Influenza A virus / chemistry
  • Influenza A virus / classification
  • Influenza A virus / genetics
  • Influenza A virus / immunology
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Orthomyxoviridae Infections / epidemiology
  • Orthomyxoviridae Infections / veterinary
  • Orthomyxoviridae Infections / virology
  • Phylogeny
  • Sequence Alignment
  • United Kingdom / epidemiology

Citations

This article has been cited 15 times.
  1. Nemoto M, Reedy SE, Yano T, Suzuki K, Fukuda S, Garvey M, Kambayashi Y, Bannai H, Tsujimura K, Yamanaka T, Cullinane A, Chambers TM. Antigenic comparison of H3N8 equine influenza viruses belonging to Florida sublineage clade 1 between vaccine strains and North American strains isolated in 2021-2022. Arch Virol 2023 Feb 19;168(3):94.
    doi: 10.1007/s00705-023-05720-xpubmed: 36806782google scholar: lookup
  2. Vandoorn E, Stadejek W, Leroux-Roels I, Leroux-Roels G, Parys A, Van Reeth K. Human Immunity and Susceptibility to Influenza A(H3) Viruses of Avian, Equine, and Swine Origin. Emerg Infect Dis 2023 Jan;29(1):98-109.
    doi: 10.3201/eid2901.220943pubmed: 36573615google scholar: lookup
  3. Oladunni FS, Oseni SO, Martinez-Sobrido L, Chambers TM. Equine Influenza Virus and Vaccines. Viruses 2021 Aug 20;13(8).
    doi: 10.3390/v13081657pubmed: 34452521google scholar: lookup
  4. Rozek W, Kwasnik M, Socha W, Sztromwasser P, Rola J. Analysis of Single Nucleotide Variants (SNVs) Induced by Passages of Equine Influenza Virus H3N8 in Embryonated Chicken Eggs. Viruses 2021 Aug 5;13(8).
    doi: 10.3390/v13081551pubmed: 34452416google scholar: lookup
  5. Blanco-Lobo P, Rodriguez L, Reedy S, Oladunni FS, Nogales A, Murcia PR, Chambers TM, Martinez-Sobrido L. A Bivalent Live-Attenuated Vaccine for the Prevention of Equine Influenza Virus. Viruses 2019 Oct 11;11(10).
    doi: 10.3390/v11100933pubmed: 31614538google scholar: lookup
  6. Gahan J, Garvey M, Asmah Abd Samad R, Cullinane A. Whole Genome Sequencing of the First H3N8 Equine Influenza Virus Identified in Malaysia. Pathogens 2019 May 10;8(2).
    doi: 10.3390/pathogens8020062pubmed: 31083430google scholar: lookup
  7. Toh X, Soh ML, Ng MK, Yap SC, Harith N, Fernandez CJ, Huangfu T. Isolation and characterization of equine influenza virus (H3N8) from an equine influenza outbreak in Malaysia in 2015. Transbound Emerg Dis 2019 Sep;66(5):1884-1893.
    doi: 10.1111/tbed.13218pubmed: 31059176google scholar: lookup
  8. Singh RK, Dhama K, Karthik K, Khandia R, Munjal A, Khurana SK, Chakraborty S, Malik YS, Virmani N, Singh R, Tripathi BN, Munir M, van der Kolk JH. A Comprehensive Review on Equine Influenza Virus: Etiology, Epidemiology, Pathobiology, Advances in Developing Diagnostics, Vaccines, and Control Strategies. Front Microbiol 2018;9:1941.
    doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.01941pubmed: 30237788google scholar: lookup
  9. Mena J, Brito B, Moreira R, Tadich T, González I, Cruces J, Ortega R, van Bakel H, Rathnasinghe R, Pizarro-Lucero J, Medina R, Neira V. Reemergence of H3N8 Equine Influenza A virus in Chile, 2018. Transbound Emerg Dis 2018 Dec;65(6):1408-1415.
    doi: 10.1111/tbed.12984pubmed: 30054993google scholar: lookup
  10. Favaro PF, Fernandes WR, Reischak D, Brandão PE, Silva SOS, Richtzenhain LJ. Evolution of equine influenza viruses (H3N8) during a Brazilian outbreak, 2015. Braz J Microbiol 2018 Apr-Jun;49(2):336-346.
    doi: 10.1016/j.bjm.2017.07.003pubmed: 29100932google scholar: lookup
  11. Olguin Perglione C, Golemba MD, Torres C, Barrandeguy M. Molecular Epidemiology and Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of the H3N8 Equine Influenza Virus in South America. Pathogens 2016 Oct 16;5(4).
    doi: 10.3390/pathogens5040061pubmed: 27754468google scholar: lookup
  12. Alves Beuttemmüller E, Woodward A, Rash A, Dos Santos Ferraz LE, Fernandes Alfieri A, Alfieri AA, Elton D. Characterisation of the epidemic strain of H3N8 equine influenza virus responsible for outbreaks in South America in 2012. Virol J 2016 Mar 19;13:45.
    doi: 10.1186/s12985-016-0503-9pubmed: 26993620google scholar: lookup
  13. Xu Y, Bailey E, Spackman E, Li T, Wang H, Long LP, Baroch JA, Cunningham FL, Lin X, Jarman RG, DeLiberto TJ, Wan XF. Limited Antigenic Diversity in Contemporary H7 Avian-Origin Influenza A Viruses from North America. Sci Rep 2016 Feb 9;6:20688.
    doi: 10.1038/srep20688pubmed: 26858078google scholar: lookup
  14. Branda F, Yon DK, Albanese M, Binetti E, Giovanetti M, Ciccozzi A, Ciccozzi M, Scarpa F, Ceccarelli G. Equine Influenza: Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, and Strategies for Prevention and Control. Viruses 2025 Feb 21;17(3).
    doi: 10.3390/v17030302pubmed: 40143233google scholar: lookup
  15. Kleij L, Bruder E, Raoux-Barbot D, Lejal N, Nevers Q, Deloizy C, Da Costa B, Legrand L, Barrey E, Chenal A, Pronost S, Delmas B, Dhorne-Pollet S. Genomic characterization of equine influenza A subtype H3N8 viruses by long read sequencing and functional analyses of the PB1-F2 virulence factor of A/equine/Paris/1/2018. Vet Res 2024 Mar 22;55(1):36.
    doi: 10.1186/s13567-024-01289-8pubmed: 38520035google scholar: lookup
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 99,780 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.