http://precedings.nature.com/tags/Swine%20influenza Recently posted documents tagged with 'Swine influenza' Nature Publishing Group en Nature Precedings http://precedings.nature.com/images/header_logo.gif http://precedings.nature.com http://precedings.nature.com/documents/385/version/1 The looming influenza pandemic has focused attention1-4 on the rapid evolution of H5N1 and other human and avian serotypes. The basic tenets of influenza genetics5 define gradual changes as drifts caused by point mutations created by a polymerase that lacks a proof reading function. More abrupt changes have been linked to reassortment, which shuffles the eight sub-genomic segments of the influenza genome in dually infected host. The complex evolution of these viruses has created a challenge in vaccine development. Swine influenza isolates from 2003 and 2004 have been identified6 that have acquired a human influenza gene, PB1. My analysis of the eight gene segments found large portions of two genes, PB2 and PA, which were identical matches with 1977 swine isolates7,8. Additional regions were exact matches with 1998 and 2002 isolates,9,10 demonstrating homologous recombination between earlier genomes. The absolute fidelity discounts the role of point mutations in gene drift. Moreover the human PB1 gene represented a reservoir for acquisition of polymorphisms in human seasonal flu. These observations challenge the basic tenets of influenza genetics and provide a method for predicting the changes in seasonal and pandemic influenza, as well as other rapidly evolving genomes. http://precedings.nature.com/documents/385/version/1 Tue, 10 Jul 2007 13:59:11 UTC Swine Influenza A Evolution via Recombination – Genetic Drift Reservoir hdl:10101/npre.2007.385.1 2009-01-09 Henry L. Niman Nature Precedings 2007-07-10T13:59:11Z Manuscript Ecology Genetics & Genomics http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/