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Avian flu

Influenza virus receptors in the human airway

Nature volume 440, pages 435–436 (2006)Cite this article

Avian and human flu viruses seem to target different regions of a patient's respiratory tract.

Abstract

Although more than 100 people have been infected by H5N1 influenza A viruses, human-to-human transmission is rare1. What are the molecular barriers limiting human-to-human transmission? Here we demonstrate an anatomical difference in the distribution in the human airway of the different binding molecules preferred by the avian and human influenza viruses. The respective molecules are sialic acid linked to galactose by an α-2,3 linkage (SAα2,3Gal) and by an α-2,6 linkage (SAα2,6Gal)2. Our findings may provide a rational explanation for why H5N1 viruses at present rarely infect and spread between humans although they can replicate efficiently in the lungs.

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Figure 1: Reactivity of human respiratory tissues with lectins specific for different sialic acid linkages.
Figure 2: Infection of human respiratory tissue by influenza A viruses.

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Author information

Author notes

  1. Kyoko Shinya

    Present address: The Avian Zoonosis Research Centre, Tottori University, Tottori, 680-8550, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, 53706, Wisconsin, USA

    Kyoko Shinya & Yoshihiro Kawaoka

  2. Division of Virology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan

    Kyoko Shinya, Shinya Yamada & Yoshihiro Kawaoka

  3. International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan

    Yoshihiro Kawaoka

  4. Institute for Animal Experimentation, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8575, Miyagi, Japan

    Kyoko Shinya & Noriyuki Kasai

  5. Respiratory Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Development, Aging, and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan

    Masahito Ebina

  6. Department of Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8575, Miyagi, Japan

    Masao Ono

  7. Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, 332-0012, Saitama, Japan

    Yoshihiro Kawaoka

Authors
  1. Kyoko Shinya
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  2. Masahito Ebina
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  3. Shinya Yamada
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  4. Masao Ono
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  5. Noriyuki Kasai
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  6. Yoshihiro Kawaoka
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yoshihiro Kawaoka.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Shinya, K., Ebina, M., Yamada, S. et al. Influenza virus receptors in the human airway. Nature 440, 435–436 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/440435a

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