Genetic diversity of hemagglutinin gene of A(H1N1)pdm09 influenza strains isolated in Taiwan and its potential impact on HA-neutralizing epitope interaction.

Pandemic influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus is a global health threat and between 2009-2011 it became the predominant influenza virus subtype circulating in the world. The research describes the MSSCP (Multitemperature Single Strand Conformation Polymorphism) analysis of the hemagglutinin (HA) region encompassing major neutralizing epitope in pandemic influenza isolates from Taiwan. Several genetically distinct changes appeared in isolates obtained in 2010 and 2011. The majority of changes in HA protein did not result in significant modifications, however three modifications were localized in epitope E of H1 and one was part of the interface binding antibodies BH151 and HC45 possibly making the current vaccine less effective.-Taking into account the possibility of the emergence of influenza A with antibody evading potential, the MSSCP method provides an alternative approach for detection of minor variants which escape detection by conventional Sanger sequencing.