Distinct Host Tropism Protein Signatures to Identify Possible Zoonotic Influenza A Viruses

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Infectious Diseases
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• Zoonotic influenza A viruses originating from avian species pose a significant public health threat, with past epidemics and pandemics linked to avian strains.
• Identifying high-risk zoonotic strains before an outbreak remains a challenge, despite the utility of phylogenetic analyses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential of host tropism protein signatures for identifying zoonotic influenza A virus strains with the capacity for human infection.
• To establish a method for classifying influenza A viruses into avian, human, or zoonotic strains based on their protein signatures.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a host tropism prediction system based on machine learning to classify avian and human viral proteins.
• Analyzed complete proteomes of influenza A viruses to identify distinct protein signatures.
• Examined protein signatures of zoonotic strains from influenza outbreaks to assess common ancestry.

Main Results:

• Discovered distinct host tropism protein signatures that differentiate avian, human, and zoonotic influenza A virus strains.
• Zoonotic strains exhibit mosaic signatures of both avian and human viral proteins, unlike typical avian or human strains.
• Zoonotic strains from the same outbreaks share similar protein signatures, indicating a common origin.

Conclusions:

• Host tropism protein signatures offer a novel approach for rapid identification of potential high-risk zoonotic influenza strains in avian populations.
• This method can aid in influenza surveillance, providing foresight into impending outbreaks and enabling proactive public health measures.