%0 Journal Article
%T N-Glycans from Porcine Trachea and Lung: Predominant NeuAc¦Á2-6Gal Could Be a Selective Pressure for Influenza Variants in Favor of Human-Type Receptor
%A Nongluk Sriwilaijaroen
%A Sachiko Kondo
%A Hirokazu Yagi
%A Nobuhiro Takemae
%A Takehiko Saito
%A Hiroaki Hiramatsu
%A Koichi Kato
%A Yasuo Suzuki
%J PLOS ONE
%D 2012
%I Public Library of Science (PLoS)
%R 10.1371/journal.pone.0016302
%X It is known that pigs acted as ¡°mixing vessels¡± for genesis of a new reassortant influenza strain responsible for pandemic H1N1 2009. However, the host factors driving the evolution of a reassorted virus in pigs to ¡®jump species¡¯ resulting in a human outbreak remain unclear. N-glycans derived from the porcine respiratory tract were enzymatically released, fluorescent labeled with 2-aminopyridine, separated according to charge, size and hydrophobicity, and structurally identified by a two-dimensional (size and hydrophobicity) HPLC mapping technique and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry before and after exo-glycosidase digestion. We found a 3-, 5-, and 13-fold increases in NeuAc¦Á2-6, a preferable human influenza receptor, over NeuAc¦Á2-3, an avian influenza receptor, from upper and lower parts of the porcine trachea towards the porcine lung, a major target organ for swine virus replication. The large proportion of NeuAc¦Á2-6 may exert selective pressure for selection of influenza variants with altered receptor preference for this human-type ¦Á2-6 receptor, a crucial first step for generating a human pandemic.
%U http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0016302