Abstract Title
RNF2 evasion promotes spillover of avian influenza virus to human
Abstract
Avian influenza viruses (AIVs) frequently cross species barriers to infect humans, highlighting the increasing pandemic risk they pose. However, the mechanism of AIV cross-species transmission remain largely unknown, leaving gaps in predicting which virus lineages are more likely to cross species barrier to cause outbreaks in humans. We identified RNF2 as a key mammalian host restriction factor for AIVs infection by catalyzing the ubiquitination-dependent degradation of viral neuraminidase (NA) protein. Compared to other AIVs, human viruses and majority of H5N1, H7N9, and H9N2 AIVs which have repeatedly infected humans, overcome RNF2 restriction through the loss of ubiquitination sites in NA stalk region. Furthermore, we found that the amino acid difference at position N132 in mammalian RNF2, comparing to avian RNF2, is crucial for the effective degradation of NA protein. Therefore, the ability to evade RNF2 restriction is an important factor to consider in assessing the zoonotic potential of AIVs.
Co-Author(s)
Zhen Wang, National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China;
Yipeng Sun, National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
Abstract Category
Avian influenza in mammals, pandemic preparedness, and one health