Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 10, 2026
07:55
Generation of Escape Variants of Neutralizing Influenza Virus Monoclonal Antibodies
Published on: August 29, 2017
Mutations, drift, and the influenza archipelago.
Derek J Smith1, Alan S Lapedes, Jan C de Jong
1Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, United Kingdom.
Discovery Medicine
|August 14, 2010
Summary
Influenza virus causes yearly epidemics and millions of deaths. Understanding antigenic drift in hemagglutinin is crucial for effective flu vaccines and surveillance.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Immunology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Annual influenza epidemics cause significant global mortality, with hemagglutinin (HA) as the primary target for protective immunity and vaccines.
- Antigenic drift, a continuous change in HA's structure, necessitates frequent vaccine updates to maintain efficacy against evolving influenza virus variants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the critical role of antigenic drift in influenza's public health impact and scientific interest.
- To emphasize the importance of analyzing antigenic differences for effective surveillance and vaccine development.
Main Methods:
- Global influenza surveillance network involving isolation and analysis of thousands of influenza viruses annually.
- Utilizing data from surveillance to inform twice-yearly vaccine strain selection meetings.
- Analysis of antigenic differences between influenza strains to assess cross-protective immunity.
Main Results:
- Established a comprehensive historical record of global influenza virus evolution.
- Demonstrated that the effectiveness of immunity against different strains depends on antigenic differences.
- Highlighted the critical role of antigenic difference analysis in virology research.
Conclusions:
- Antigenic drift is a primary driver of influenza's public health burden and a key factor in vaccine efficacy.
- Continuous global surveillance and analysis of antigenic differences are essential for public health and scientific understanding of influenza virus.
- Understanding antigenic variation is fundamental for both basic research and applied strategies in combating influenza.
Related Concept Videos
00:36Viral Mutations
A mutation is a change in the sequence of bases of DNA or RNA in a genome. Some mutations occur during replication of the genome due to errors made by the polymerase enzymes that replicate DNA or RNA. Unlike DNA polymerase, RNA polymerase is prone to errors because it is not capable of “proofreading” its work. Viruses with RNA-based genomes, like HIV, therefore accrue mutations faster than viruses with DNA-based genomes. Because mutation and recombination provide the raw material for adaptive...
01:09Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift
In a population that is not at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the frequency of alleles changes over time. Therefore, any deviations from the five conditions of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium can alter the genetic variation of a given population. Conditions that change the genetic variability of a population include mutations, natural selection, non-random mating, gene flow, and genetic drift (small population size).Mechanisms of Genetic VariationThe original sources of genetic variation are mutations,...
03:33Genetic Drift
Natural selection—probably the most well-known evolutionary mechanism—increases the prevalence of traits that enhance survival and reproduction. However, evolution does not merely propagate favorable traits, nor does it always benefit populations.Life is not fair. A deer grazing contentedly in a field can have her meal cut tragically short by a bolt of lightning. If the doomed doe is one of only three in the population, 1/3 of the population’s gene pool is lost. Random events like this can...
01:27Influenza
Influenza is an acute, highly communicable viral disease that affects the respiratory tract and is responsible for seasonal epidemics worldwide. Influenza A is the most prevalent type associated with widespread outbreaks and is subtyped based on two surface glycoproteins: hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N), as in H1N1. These glycoproteins are essential for viral infectivity, transmission, and immune recognition. Transmission occurs primarily through respiratory droplets and contaminated...
02:39Gene Flow
Gene flow is the transfer of genes among populations, resulting from either the dispersal of gametes or from the migration of individuals.
00:57Viral Recombination
Cells are sometimes infected by more than one virus at once. When two viruses disassemble to expose their genomes for replication in the same cell, similar regions of their genomes can pair together and exchange sequences in a process called recombination. Alternatively, viruses with segmented genomes can swap segments in a process called reassortment.