Russian Bird Flu Matrix Gene Also a Recombinant
Recombinomics Commentary
January 9, 2005
The sequence of the M (matrix) gene of A/duck/Primorie/2633/01(H5N3) is now also available at GenBank. It also has regions of recombination and has homologies with bird flu isolates in Asia, Europe and the Americas. The are homologies with various H7 isolates including H7N7 from The Netherlands, H7N3 from the Fraser Valley outbreak in British Columbia, as well as H7N3 found in Chile, A/chicken/Chile/4977/02(H7N3).
Rare polymorphisms are also shared with H7N7 that trace back over 70 years when the isolates were call fowl plague virus (FPV), A/chicken/Brescia/1902 (H7N7), A/FPV/Dobson/29 (H7N7), A/FPV/Rostock/34 (H7N7), A/FPV/Weybridge (H7N7). Rare polymorphisms are also shared with avian isolates with H1 genes such as A/Duck/Bavaria/2/77 (H1N1), A/oystercatcher/Germany/87 (H1N1), A/Duck/Hong Kong/193/77 (H1N2)
There are also homologies with H9N2 from Shantou Province in China and some rare polymorphisms are found in Korean isolates such as A/swine/Korea/S452/2004(H9N2), A/chicken/Korea/S1/2003(H9N2). The H9N2 Korean isolates that have reassorted with human WSN/33 match 2004 isolates from Korea. These 2004 Korean isolates are unique, but the number of Russian isolates is very limited and recent Russian isolates are not available at GenBank for comparison.