ABSTRACT
H6H6 subtype avian influenza virus
(AIV) is currently prevalent in wild birds and poultry. Its host range
has gradually expanded to the mammals, such as swine. Some strains of
H6N6 AIV have even acquired the ability to bind to human-like receptors
SA-α2, 6Gal, thus increasing the risk of animal-human transmission. To
investigate whether H6N6 AIV can cross interspecies barriers from
poultry to mammals and even humans, we assessed the molecular
characteristics, receptor-binding preference, replication in mice, and
the human lung of three chicken-originated H6N6 strains. Among the three
chicken-originated H6N6 strains, A/CK/ZZ/346/2014 (ZZ346) virus with
P186T, H156R, S263G mutation of hemagglutinin (HA) showed the ability to
bind to avian-like SAα-2,3Gal and human-like SAα-2,6Gal receptors.
Moreover, H6N6 viruses, especially the ZZ346 strain, could replicate and
infect mice and human lungs. Our study detected the H6N6 virus favorable
to bind to both avian-like SAα-2,3Gal and human-like SAα-2,6Gal
receptors, verified its ability to cross the species barrier to infect
mice, and verified to infect human lungs without prior adaptation. This
study emphasizes the importance of continuous and intense monitoring of
the evolution of the H6N6 virus in the terrestrial bird.
KEYWORDS
avian influenza virus, H6N6 subtype, replicate, infect, mice, human