Drift of the sialyl-linkage specific recognition of the sialidase of influenza B virus isolates

Influenza B viruses: not to be discounted

In contrast to influenza A viruses, which have been investigated extensively, influenza B viruses have attracted relatively little attention. However, influenza B viruses are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in the human population and full understanding of their biological and epidemiological properties is imperative to better control this important pathogen. However, some of its characteristics are still elusive and warrant investigation. Here, we review evolution, epidemiology, pathogenesis and immunity and identify gaps in our knowledge of influenza B viruses. The divergence of two antigenically distinct influenza B viruses is highlighted. The co-circulation of viruses of these two lineages necessitated the development of quadrivalent influenza vaccines, which is discussed in addition to possibilities to develop universal vaccination strategies.

Functional balance between haemagglutinin and neuraminidase in influenza virus infections

Influenza A and B viruses carry two surface glycoproteins, the haemagglutinin (HA) and the neuraminidase (NA). Both proteins have been found to recognise the same host cell molecule, sialic acid. HA binds to sialic acid-containing receptors on target cells to initiate virus infection, whereas NA cleaves sialic acids from cellular receptors and extracellular inhibitors to facilitate progeny virus release and to promote the spread of the infection to neighbouring cells. Numerous studies performed recently have revealed that an optimal interplay between these receptor-binding and receptor-destroying activities of the surface glycoproteins is required for efficient virus replication. An existing balance between the antagonistic HA and NA functions of individual viruses can be disturbed by various events, such as reassortment, virus transmission to a new host, or therapeutic inhibition of neuraminidase. The resulting decrease in the viral replicative fitness is usually overcome by restoration of the functional balance due to compensatory mutations in HA, NA or both proteins.

Receptor specificities of human respiroviruses

Through their hemagglutinin-neuraminidase glycoprotein, parainfluenza viruses bind to sialic acid-containing glycoconjugates to initiate infection. Although the virus-receptor interaction is a key factor of infection, the exact nature of the receptors that human parainfluenza viruses recognize has not been determined. We evaluated the abilities of human parainfluenza virus types 1 (hPIV-1) and 3 (hPIV-3) to bind to different types of gangliosides. Both hPIV-1 and hPIV-3 preferentially bound to neolacto-series gangliosides containing a terminal N-acetylneuraminic acid (NeuAc) linked to N-acetyllactosamine (Galbeta1-4GlcNAc) by the alpha2-3 linkage (NeuAcalpha2-3Galbeta1-4GlcNAc). Unlike hPIV-1, hPIV-3 bound to gangliosides with a terminal NeuAc linked to Galbeta1-4GlcNAc through an alpha2-6 linkage (NeuAcalpha2-6Galbeta1-4GlcNAc) or to gangliosides with a different sialic acid, N-glycolylneuraminic acid (NeuGc), linked to Galbeta1-4GlcNAc (NeuGcalpha2-3Galbeta1-4GlcNAc). These results indicate that the molecular species of glycoconjugate that hPIV-1 recognizes are more limited than those recognized by hPIV-3. Further analysis using purified gangliosides revealed that the oligosaccharide core structure is also an important element for binding. Gangliosides that contain branched N-acetyllactosaminoglycans in their core structure showed higher avidity than those without them. Agglutination of human, cow, and guinea pig erythrocytes but not equine erythrocytes by hPIV-1 and hPIV-3 correlated well with the presence or the absence of sialic acid-linked branched N-acetyllactosaminoglycans on the cell surface. Finally, NeuAcalpha2-3I, which bound to both viruses, inhibited virus infection of Lewis lung carcinoma-monkey kidney cells in a dose-dependent manner. We conclude that hPIV-1 and hPIV-3 preferentially recognize oligosaccharides containing branched N-acetyllactosaminoglycans with terminal NeuAcalpha2-3Gal as receptors and that hPIV-3 also recognizes NeuAcalpha2-6Gal- or NeuGcalpha2-3Gal-containing receptors. These findings provide important information that can be used to develop inhibitors that prevent human parainfluenza virus infection.

Determination of viral neuraminidase specificity for membrane-bound sialic acids by cell electrophoresis

The ability of the influenza virus neuraminidase (NA) to cleave specific sialic acids was measured by cell electrophoresis. Most of the surface charge of human erythrocytes can be attributed to sialic acids. Therefore cleavage of sialic acids reduces the surface charge density which is measurable as a reduced cell electrophoretic mobility (EPM). For experiments specifically sialylated, erythrocytes were used. Their EPM was significantly decreased after incubation with virus strains possessing the corresponding NA specificity, even when the viral haemagglutinin (HA) was unable to bind to the erythrocyte's surface. Thus, the limited applicability of elution experiments, which requires virus binding, is overcome. An additional advantage of this procedure is that it is non-radioactive. In our model system the erythrocyte's surface resembles the natural situation of viral interaction with membrane-bound receptors.

Sialic acids in molecular and cellular interactions

Sialic acids (Sias) are terminal components of many glycoproteins and glycolipids especially of higher animals. In this exposed position they contribute significantly to the structural properties of these molecules, both in solution and on cell surfaces. Therefore, it is not surprising that Sias are important regulators of cellular and molecular interactions, in which they play a dual role. They can either mask recognition sites or serve as recognition determinants. Whereas the role of Sias in masking and in binding of pathogens to host cells has been documented over many years, their role in nonpathological cellular interaction has only been shown recently. The aim of this chapter is to summarize our knowledge about Sias in masking, for example, galactose residues, and to review the progress made during the past few years with respect to Sias as recognition determinants in the adhesion of pathogenic viruses, bacteria, and protozoa, and particularly as binding sites for endogenous cellular interaction molecules. Finally, perspectives for future research on these topics are discussed.

Synthetic and structural studies of alpha-sialyl-(2-->6) and alpha-sialyl-(2-->3) 1-deoxynojirimycin derivatives potentially useful for biomedical applications

Suitably protected derivatives of 1-deoxynojirimycin (1,5-dideoxy-1,5-imino-D-glucitol, DNJ) and its D-galacto analog were coupled with 2-thioglycosides of N-acetylneuraminic acid. The resulting disaccharides were converted into a variety of alpha-sialyl-(2-->6)-and alpha-sialyl-(2-->3)-DNJ derivatives, including the cyclic lactams 6-O-(5-acetamido-3,5-dideoxy-D-glycero-alpha-D-galacto-2-nonulopyrano sylono- 1',5-lactam)-1,5-dideoxy-1,5-imino-D-glucitol and -D-galactitol. The structural features of the synthetic compounds were investigated by ion-spray mass and 1H NMR spectrometry. The 1C4 conformation of N-tert-butoxycarbonyl-DNJ, a synthetic intermediate having the gluco configuration, was confirmed by X-ray crystallography.

Sialidase of swine influenza A viruses: variation of the recognition specificities for sialyl linkages and for the molecular species of sialic acid with the year of isolation

The sialidase of swine influenza A viruses of N1 and N2 subtypes, isolated from 1930 to 1992, was studied for substrate specificity with ganglio-series, lacto-series type II and GM3 gangliosides containing Neu5Ac alpha 2-3Gal, Neu5Gc alpha 2-3Gal and Neu5Ac alpha 2-6Gal linkages. All viral sialidases tested showed that the activity for hydrolysing substrates with Neu5Ac alpha 2-3Gal was higher than the activities with Neu5Gc alpha 2-3Gal and Neu5Ac alpha 2-6Gal linkages. When GM1b, GM3 and sialylparagloboside were used as substrates, the earliest strain (A/Wisconsin/15/30 H1N1, isolated in 1930) showed the activity ratio of Neu5Ac alpha 2-6Gal to Neu5Ac alpha 2-3Gal to be 0.13:0.2, and the ratio Neu5Gc alpha 2-3Gal/Neu5Ac alpha 2-3Gal to be 0.19:0.37, while those strains isolated from 1978 to 1992 exhibited ratios of 0.29:0.58 for Neu5Ac alpha 2-6Gal/Neu5Ac alpha 2-3Gal and 0.51:0.76 for Neu5Gc alpha 2-3Gal/Neu5Ac alpha 2-3Gal. The above results indicate that the substrate specificities of sialidases from swine influenza A viruses towards sialyl linkages and the molecular species of sialic acid are related to the year of isolation, i.e. strains isolated after 1978 exhibited higher activity towards Neu5Ac alpha 2-6Gal and Neu5Gc alpha 2-3Gal linkages when compared with strains isolated in an earlier year, 1930.