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MBE Advance Access originally published online on October 17, 2008
Molecular Biology and Evolution 2009 26(1):177-187; doi:10.1093/molbev/msn238
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© The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Research Articles

Homologous Recombination as an Evolutionary Force in the Avian Influenza A Virus

Cheng-Qiang He*, Zhi-Xun Xie{dagger}, Guan-Zhu Han*, Jian-Bao Dong{dagger}, Dong Wang*, Jia-Bo Liu{dagger}, Le-Yuan Ma*, Xiao-Fei Tang{dagger}, Xi-Ping Liu*, Yao-Shan Pang{dagger} and Guo-Rong Li*

* Department of Biotechnology College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Shandong Province, Jinan, China
{dagger} Department of Biotechnology Guangxi Veterinary Research Institute, Nanning, China

E-mail: hchqiang{at}yahoo.com.cn.

Accepted for publication October 12, 2008.

Avian influenza A viruses (AIVs), including the H5N1, H9N2, and H7N7 subtypes, have been directly transmitted to humans, raising concerns over the possibility of a new influenza pandemic. To prevent a future avian influenza pandemic, it is very important to fully understand the molecular basis driving the change in AIV virulence and host tropism. Although virulent variants of other viruses have been generated by homologous recombination, the occurrence of homologous recombination within AIV segments is controversial and far from proven. This study reports three circulating H9N2 AIVs with similar mosaic PA genes descended from H9N2 and H5N1. Additionally, many homologous recombinants are also found deposited in GenBank. Recombination events can occur in PB2, PB1, PA, HA, and NP segments and between lineages of the same/different serotype. These results collectively demonstrate that intragenic recombination plays a role in driving the evolution of AIVs, potentially resulting in effects on AIV virulence and host tropism changes.

Key Words: Avain influenza virus • homologous recombination • evolution

Robin Bush, Associate Editor


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