Influenza A Virus-Host Specificity: An Ongoing Cross-Talk Between Viral and Host Factors

Miaomiao Zhang; Mingbin Liu; Shimeng Bai; Chen Zhao; Zejun Li; Jianqing Xu; Xiaoyan Zhang

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2021.777885

Influenza A Virus-Host Specificity: An Ongoing Cross-Talk Between Viral and Host Factors

Front Microbiol. 2021 Nov 5:12:777885. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.777885. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Miaomiao Zhang^{1

2}, Mingbin Liu¹, Shimeng Bai¹, Chen Zhao¹, Zejun Li², Jianqing Xu¹, Xiaoyan Zhang¹

Affiliations

¹ Scientific Research Center, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of Ministry of Education/Health, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
² Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academic of Agricultural Sciences & Animal Influenza Virus Evolution and Pathogenesis Innovation Team of the Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Team, Shanghai, China.

Abstract

One big threat from influenza A viruses (IAVs) is that novel viruses emerge from mutation alongside reassortment. Some of them have gained the capability to transmit into human from the avian reservoir. Understanding the molecular events and the involved factors in breaking the cross-species barrier holds important implication for the surveillance and prevention of potential influenza outbreaks. In this review, we summarize recent progresses, including several ground-breaking findings, in how the interaction between host and viral factors, exemplified by the PB2 subunit of the influenza virus RNA polymerase co-opting host ANP32 protein to facilitate transcription and replication of the viral genome, shapes the evolution of IAVs from host specificity to cross-species infection.

Keywords: PB2; host factors; host specificity; influenza A virus; pathogenesis.

Publication types

Review