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.