ARS | Publication request: Innate resistance to avian influenza: Of MHC's and Mx proteins

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: October 6, 2009
Publication Date: November 1, 2009
Citation: Kapczynski, D.R., Ewald, S., Livant, E., Suarez, D.L., Swayne, D.E. 2009. Innate resistance to avian influenza: Of MHC's and Mx proteins [abstract]. NE-1034 Annual Technical Committee Meeting: Genetic Bases for Resistance and Immunity to Avian Diseases. October 4-5, 2009, Fayetteville, Arkansas. CDROM.

Technical Abstract: Avian influenza (AI) is an economically important virus of poultry that has significant impact on global trade. Recently, increased attention to animal genomics has been applied to enhance innate resistance to infectious diseases in poultry. Two known contributors to innate resistance are the host major histocompatibility-complex (MHC) and myxovirus-resistance (Mx) proteins. The MHC is important for recognition of virally-infected cells, while Mx is produced by host cells in response to interferon, and has been shown to confer protection against influenza in mammalian studies. In these studies we demonstrate that chickens with different MHC’s or Mx genotypes displayed minor difference in resistance following infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza. While statistical differences in mean death time after infection have been observed in groups of chickens with different MHC and Mx, most all birds died after challenge. Overall, these studies provide evidence that MHC and Mx may contribute to protection against avian influenza, however, not enough to overcome infection with highly pathogenic isolates.