Re-Emergence of Circulation of Seasonal Influenza during COVID-19 Pandemic in Russia and Receptor Specificity of New and Dominant Clade 3C.2a1b.2a.2 A(H3N2) Viruses in 2021-2022

Natalia P Kolosova; Tatiana N Ilyicheva; Vasily V Unguryan; Alexey V Danilenko; Svetlana V Svyatchenko; Galina S Onhonova; Natalia I Goncharova; Maksim N Kosenko; Andrey S Gudymo; Vasiliy Y Marchenko; Alexander N Shvalov; Ivan M Susloparov; Tatiana V Tregubchak; Elena V Gavrilova; Rinat A Maksyutov; Alexander B Ryzhikov

doi:10.3390/pathogens11111388

Re-Emergence of Circulation of Seasonal Influenza during COVID-19 Pandemic in Russia and Receptor Specificity of New and Dominant Clade 3C.2a1b.2a.2 A(H3N2) Viruses in 2021-2022

Pathogens. 2022 Nov 21;11(11):1388. doi: 10.3390/pathogens11111388.

Authors

Natalia P Kolosova¹, Tatiana N Ilyicheva¹, Vasily V Unguryan^{1

2}, Alexey V Danilenko¹, Svetlana V Svyatchenko¹, Galina S Onhonova¹, Natalia I Goncharova¹, Maksim N Kosenko¹, Andrey S Gudymo¹, Vasiliy Y Marchenko¹, Alexander N Shvalov¹, Ivan M Susloparov¹, Tatiana V Tregubchak¹, Elena V Gavrilova¹, Rinat A Maksyutov¹, Alexander B Ryzhikov¹

Affiliations

¹ State Research Centre of Virology and Biotechnology "Vector", Rospotrebnadzor, Koltsovo, Novosibirsk 630559, Russia.
² Department of Physics, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia.

Abstract

The circulation of seasonal influenza in 2020-2021 around the world was drastically reduced after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of mitigation strategies. The influenza virus circulation reemerged in 2021-2022 with the global spread of the new genetic clade 3C.2a1b.2a.2 of A(H3N2) viruses. The purpose of this study was to characterize influenza viruses in the 2021-2022 season in Russia and to analyze the receptor specificity properties of the 3C.2a1b.2a.2 A(H3N2) viruses. Clinical influenza samples were collected at the local Sanitary-and-Epidemiological Centers of Rospotrebnadzor. Whole genome sequencing was performed using NGS. The receptor specificity of hemagglutinin was evaluated using molecular modeling and bio-layer interferometry. Clinical samples from 854 cases of influenza A and B were studied; A(H3N2) viruses were in the majority of the samples. All genetically studied A(H3N2) viruses belonged to the new genetic clade 3C.2a1b.2a.2. Molecular modeling analysis suggested a higher affinity of hemagglutinin of 3C.2a1b.2a.2. A(H3N2) viruses to the α2,6 human receptor. In vitro analysis using a trisaccharide 6'-Sialyl-N-acetyllactosamine receptor analog did not resolve the differences in the receptor specificity of 3C.2a1b.2a.2 clade viruses from viruses belonging to the 3C.2a1b.2a.1 clade. Further investigation of the A(H3N2) viruses is required for the evaluation of their possible adaptive advantages. Constant monitoring and characterization of influenza are critical for epidemiological analysis.

Keywords: A(H3N2) clade 3C.2a1b.2a.2; COVID-19 pandemic influence; molecular modeling; monitoring; receptor specificity; seasonal influenza virus.

Grants and funding

The work was supported by State Assignment, Rospotrebnadzor, and by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (Agreement No. 075-15-2021-1355 dated 12 October 2021) as part of the implementation of certain activities of the Federal Scientific and Technical Program for the Development of Synchrotron and Neutron Research and Research Infrastructure for 2019–2027.