Mechanistic study on the assembly and release of lentiviral particles pseudotyped with haemagglutinin of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 viruses: implications for strain-specific pseudotype development
DJ Tang, G Lam, P Lam, K Chu, B Nal, JSM Peiris, R Bruzzone
HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, Hong Kong SAR, China
1. We have developed and characterised lentiviral particles pseudotyped with avian influenza A virus H5 haemagglutinin (H5pp) from a Cambodian H5N1 isolate, which can be used as a safe tool for high-throughput serological studies without the requirement of biosafety level 3 facilities (BSL-3).
2. Not all H5 haemagglutinins (HA) give rise to efficient production of H5pp. The amino acid residue at position 134 of the influenza A virus HA protein receptor binding domain is a critical molecular switch to control the ability of H5 HA to pseudotype lentiviral vectors.
2. Not all H5 haemagglutinins (HA) give rise to efficient production of H5pp. The amino acid residue at position 134 of the influenza A virus HA protein receptor binding domain is a critical molecular switch to control the ability of H5 HA to pseudotype lentiviral vectors.