Location: Virus and Prion Research
Project Number: 5030-32000-231-083-R
Project Type: Reimbursable Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Jun 1, 2020
End Date: Apr 30, 2024
Objective:
We plan to test if there are any selective bottlenecks during replication and transmission of human viruses in pigs that alter the virus genomic diversity and evolution in the species and to identify different host factors affect these bottlenecks. We also expect to identify the viral molecular features that facilitate host species jumps between humans and swine and consequently identify those viruses with expanded host range.
Approach:
In Aim 1, we will quantify the within- and between-host evolution of human influenza viruses during adaptation to swine. We will specifically investigate the evolution, population diversity, and bottlenecks that occur when a human-origin IAV virus replicates and transmits in pigs and determine the molecular changes in the virus that may be associated with species jump by deep sequencing. In Aim 2, we will identify factors that affect transmission bottlenecks during adaptation of human influenza viruses to swine by establishing the role of the innate and adaptive immune response on virus evolution during adaptation of human influenza viruses to swine. We will evaluate how age affects virus evolution during adaptation of human influenza viruses in 4- versus 10-week old swine.
