Amino acid 226 in the hemagglutinin of H4N6 influenza virus determines binding affinity for α-2,6-linked sialic acid and infectivity levels in primary swine and human respiratory epithelial cells

Avian lineage H4N6 influenza viruses previously isolated from pigs differ at hemagglutinin amino acids 226 and 228 from H4 subtype viruses isolated from birds. Using a parental H4N6 swine isolate and hemagglutinin mutant viruses (at residues 226 and/or 228), we determined that viruses which contain L226 had a higher affinity for sialic acid alpha 2,6 galactose (SA alpha 2,6Gal) and a higher infectivity level for primary swine and human respiratory epithelial cells, whereas viruses which contain Q226 had lower SA alpha 2,6Gal affinity and lower infectivity levels for both types of cells. Using specific neuraminidases, we found that irrespective of their relative binding preferences, all of the influenza viruses examined utilized SA alpha 2,6Gal to infect swine and human cells.