[Analysis of structural divergence of H1N1 serotype influenza virus individual genes]

A comparative structural analysis of H1N1 influenza virus isolated in 1977 (the A/USSR/90/77 strain) and H1N1 isolates of 1947 (the A/FM/1/47 strain) and 1950 (the A/FW/1/50 strain) have been carried out by oligonucleotide mapping of individual viral RNA segments. Seven of eight genes of A/USSR/90/77 strain have a high degree of homology with corresponding genes of A/FW/1/50 strain, especially the genes coding the NP and P2 proteins. At the same time the gene coding matrix (M) protein has higher structural similarity to the corresponding gene of A/FM/1/47 strain. Based on the results presented one may conclude that the A/USSR/90/77 epidemic strain is a recombinant virus.