Influenza-Host Interactions

A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Viral Pathogens".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 October 2021) | Viewed by 14951

Special Issue Editors

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
Interests: influenza A virus; virus-host interactions; innate immunity; intrinsic immunity; viral evasion

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Guest Editor
Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
Interests: innate immunity; influenza A virus; intrinsic immunity; virus-host interaction; pathology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

Influenza viruses are members of the family Orthomyxoviridae that are enveloped viruses with segmented negative-sense single-strand RNA genomes. Influenza viruses have four types, A, B, C, and D. Influenza A and B viruses cause seasonal epidemics with devastating levels of morbidity and mortality in humans. During infection, the influenza virus interacts with the host at multiple layers. First, host pattern recognition receptors, such as TLR7 and RIG-I, sense viral RNA and elicit interferon-mediated innate immune responses to restrict influenza infection. Second, host intrinsic restriction factors impair viral infection by regulating viral gene expression, viral protein stability, viral protein modifications, etc. By contrast, influenza viruses hijack host molecular machinery to fulfill viral life cycle and perturb host defenses to evade immune surveillance.

The interactions between influenza and host contribute to the outcomes of different pathogenic profiles. However, how these interactions control host defense and viral pathogenesis remains to be fully elucidated. To this end, we are seeking novel manuscripts that address timely and relevant studies addressing these points. For this Pathogens Special Issue, we invite submissions of research articles, reviews, or case reports relevant to the topic. Current research focusing on broad topics in influenza infection (including influenza A, B, C, and D viruses) are welcome, including but not limited to: intrinsic immunity to influenza, innate immune responses to influenza infection, host-influenza interaction, viral evasion strategy, new mutations of influenza viruses, host adaptation. Studies relevant to these topics that use cell culture or animal models, as well as clinical reports, are all welcome. We look forward to your contributions.

Dr. Shitao Li
Dr. Girish Patil
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • influenza virus
  • host defense
  • virulence
  • intrinsic immunity
  • innate immunity
  • virus-host interaction
  • host adaptation

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 2418 KiB  
Article
Neuraminidase in Virus-like Particles Contributes to the Protection against High Dose of Avian Influenza Virus Challenge Infection
by Hae-Ji Kang, Ki-Back Chu, Keon-Woong Yoon, Gi-Deok Eom, Jie Mao, Min-Ju Kim, Su-Hwa Lee, Eun-Kyung Moon and Fu-Shi Quan
Pathogens 2021, 10(10), 1291; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10101291 - 7 Oct 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2231
Abstract
Neuraminidase is an important target for influenza vaccination. In this study, we generated avian influenza VLPs, expressing hemagglutinin (HA), neuraminidase (NA), HA and NA co-expressed (HANA), to evaluate the protective role of NA against a high (10LD50) and low (2LD50 [...] Read more.
Neuraminidase is an important target for influenza vaccination. In this study, we generated avian influenza VLPs, expressing hemagglutinin (HA), neuraminidase (NA), HA and NA co-expressed (HANA), to evaluate the protective role of NA against a high (10LD50) and low (2LD50) dose of avian influenza virus challenge infections. A single immunization with HANA VLPs elicited the highest level of virus-specific IgG, IgG1, and IgG2a responses from the sera post-vaccination and the lungs post-challenge-infection. Potent antibody-secreting cell responses were observed from the spleens and lungs of HANA-VLP-immunized mice post-challenge-infection. HANA VLPs induced the highest CD4+ T cell, CD8+ T cell, and germinal center B cells, while strongly limiting inflammatory cytokine production in the lungs compared to other VLP immunization groups. In correlation with these findings, the lowest bodyweight losses and lung virus titers were observed from HANA VLP immunization, and all of the immunized mice survived irrespective of the challenge dose. Contrastingly, VLPs expressing either HA or NA alone failed to elicit complete protection. These results indicated that NA in VLPs played a critical role in inducing protection against a high dose of the challenge infection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Influenza-Host Interactions)
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16 pages, 5317 KiB  
Article
Profiling of Intestinal Microbiota in Patients Infected with Respiratory Influenza A and B Viruses
by Hebah A. Al Khatib, Shilu Mathew, Maria K. Smatti, Nahla O. Eltai, Sameer A. Pathan, Asmaa A. Al Thani, Peter V. Coyle, Muna A. Al Maslamani and Hadi M. Yassine
Pathogens 2021, 10(6), 761; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10060761 - 17 Jun 2021
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2866
Abstract
Little is known about the association between respiratory viral infections and their impact on intestinal microbiota. Here, we compared the effect of influenza types, A and B, and influenza shedding in patients’ stools on the gut microbiota diversity and composition. Deep sequencing analysis [...] Read more.
Little is known about the association between respiratory viral infections and their impact on intestinal microbiota. Here, we compared the effect of influenza types, A and B, and influenza shedding in patients’ stools on the gut microbiota diversity and composition. Deep sequencing analysis was performed for the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Fecal samples were collected from 38 adults with active respiratory influenza infection and 11 age-matched healthy controls. Influenza infection resulted in variations in intestinal bacterial community composition rather than in overall diversity. Overall, infected patients experienced an increased abundance of Bacteroidetes and a corresponding decrease in Firmicutes. Differential abundance testing illustrated that differences in gut microbiota composition were influenza type-dependent, identifying ten differentially abundant operational taxonomic units (OTUs) between influenza A- and influenza B-infected patients. Notably, virus shedding in fecal samples of some patients had significantly reduced gut bacterial diversity (p = 0.023). Further taxonomic analysis revealed that the abundance of Bacteroides fragilis was significantly higher among shedders compared to non-shedders (p = 0.037). These results provide fundamental evidence of the direct effect of influenza infection on gut microbiota diversity, as reported in patients shedding the virus. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Influenza-Host Interactions)
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Review

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17 pages, 1463 KiB  
Review
Effects of Cigarette Smoking on Influenza Virus/Host Interplay
by Jerald Chavez and Rong Hai
Pathogens 2021, 10(12), 1636; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10121636 - 17 Dec 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4073
Abstract
Cigarette smoking has been shown to increase the risk of respiratory infection, resulting in the exacerbation of infectious disease outcomes. Influenza viruses are a major respiratory viral pathogen, which are responsible for yearly epidemics that result in between 20,000 and 50,000 deaths in [...] Read more.
Cigarette smoking has been shown to increase the risk of respiratory infection, resulting in the exacerbation of infectious disease outcomes. Influenza viruses are a major respiratory viral pathogen, which are responsible for yearly epidemics that result in between 20,000 and 50,000 deaths in the US alone. However, there are limited general summaries on the impact of cigarette smoking on influenza pathogenic outcomes. Here, we will provide a systematic summarization of the current understanding of the interplay of smoking and influenza viral infection with a focus on examining how cigarette smoking affects innate and adaptive immune responses, inflammation levels, tissues that contribute to systemic chronic inflammation, and how this affects influenza A virus (IAV) disease outcomes. This summarization will: (1) help to clarify the conflict in the reports on viral pathogenicity; (2) fill knowledge gaps regarding critical anti-viral defenses such as antibody responses to IAV; and (3) provide an updated understanding of the underlying mechanism behind how cigarette smoking influences IAV pathogenicity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Influenza-Host Interactions)
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40 pages, 3187 KiB  
Review
Host Range, Biology, and Species Specificity of Seven-Segmented Influenza Viruses—A Comparative Review on Influenza C and D
by Chithra C. Sreenivasan, Zizhang Sheng, Dan Wang and Feng Li
Pathogens 2021, 10(12), 1583; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10121583 - 5 Dec 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4944
Abstract
Other than genome structure, influenza C (ICV), and D (IDV) viruses with seven-segmented genomes are biologically different from the eight-segmented influenza A (IAV), and B (IBV) viruses concerning the presence of hemagglutinin–esterase fusion protein, which combines the function of hemagglutinin and neuraminidase responsible [...] Read more.
Other than genome structure, influenza C (ICV), and D (IDV) viruses with seven-segmented genomes are biologically different from the eight-segmented influenza A (IAV), and B (IBV) viruses concerning the presence of hemagglutinin–esterase fusion protein, which combines the function of hemagglutinin and neuraminidase responsible for receptor-binding, fusion, and receptor-destroying enzymatic activities, respectively. Whereas ICV with humans as primary hosts emerged nearly 74 years ago, IDV, a distant relative of ICV, was isolated in 2011, with bovines as the primary host. Despite its initial emergence in swine, IDV has turned out to be a transboundary bovine pathogen and a broader host range, similar to influenza A viruses (IAV). The receptor specificities of ICV and IDV determine the host range and the species specificity. The recent findings of the presence of the IDV genome in the human respiratory sample, and high traffic human environments indicate its public health significance. Conversely, the presence of ICV in pigs and cattle also raises the possibility of gene segment interactions/virus reassortment between ICV and IDV where these viruses co-exist. This review is a holistic approach to discuss the ecology of seven-segmented influenza viruses by focusing on what is known so far on the host range, seroepidemiology, biology, receptor, phylodynamics, species specificity, and cross-species transmission of the ICV and IDV. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Influenza-Host Interactions)
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