Key result
Avian influenza adapts to mammals by switching viral polymerase to use mammalian importin-α isoforms.
Why the study?
The nuclear envelope is a major barrier for adaptation of highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses to new mammalian hosts, requiring a switch in viral polymerase recognition of nuclear import machinery components.
The nuclear import machinery, specifically importin-α isoforms, plays a crucial role in the adaptation of avian influenza viruses to mammalian hosts.
May guide surveillance for mammalian-adapted avian influenza strains; leaves open whether importin-α switching predicts zoonotic risk.
After viral entry into the cell, the nuclear envelope poses a major cellular barrier that needs to be overcome upon adaptation of highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIV) to the new host. To ensure efficient viral transcription and replication in the nucleus of the host cell, the viral polymerase complex of avian influenza viruses needs to switch from recognition of avian to mammalian components of the nuclear import machinery. Recent evidence suggests that influenza viruses have evolved different mechanisms to utilize importin-α isoforms as components of this machinery, bridging pre- and post-nuclear import on both sides of the nuclear envelope.
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Resa‐Infante et al. (2012) conducted a review in Influenza virus infection. Adaptation to mammalian importin-α isoforms was evaluated. Avian influenza viruses adapt to mammalian hosts by switching their viral polymerase complex to utilize mammalian importin-α isoforms of the nuclear import machinery.
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