Hemagglutinin receptor specificity and structural analyses of respiratory droplet-transmissible H5N1 viruses

Two ferret-adapted H5N1 viruses capable of respiratory droplet transmission have been reported with mutations in the hemagglutinin receptor-binding site and stalk domains. Glycan microarray analysis reveals that both viruses exhibit a strong shift toward binding to "human-type" α2-6 sialosides but with notable differences in fine specificity. Crystal structure analysis further shows that the stalk mutation causes no obvious perturbation of the receptor-binding pocket, consistent with its impact on hemagglutinin stability without affecting receptor specificity.