INTRODUCTION
Influenza viruses continue to pose significant morbidity, mortality, and socioeconomic burden worldwide as antigenic variants that evade preexisting immunity continuously emerge, causing regular epidemics and infrequent pandemics. The most administered inactivated influenza vaccines induce neutralizing antibodies targeting the receptor-binding domain of the main surface glycoprotein, hemagglutinin (HA), and this strategy is supported by the establishment of the HA inhibition (HI) antibodies as a key correlate of protection (
1). Other serological correlates of protection, such as HA-stalk reactive antibodies (
2,
3) and anti-neuraminidase (NA) antibodies (
4,
5), have been identified more recently through observational and human challenge studies. Specifically, anti-NA antibodies have been reported to protect against infection, reduce symptoms, and/or shorten the duration of viral shedding (
2–7).
Individual and population immunity are continuously shaped by influenza virus antigenic drifts and shifts. During primary exposure to the influenza virus, memory B cells are developed to react to a range of conserved and nonconserved viral epitopes. These memory B cells may bias future antibody responses upon exposure to an antigenic variant in a phenomenon referred to as “immune imprinting.” Immune response to a subsequent infection or vaccination is thus influenced by the antigenic similarity of later strains to an individual’s initial exposure. Experimental and observational studies have identified immune imprinting as an important driver of the anti-HA antibody immune landscape with both beneficial and disadvantageous impacts (
8–11).
The protective effect of immune imprinting has been observed in mice sequentially immunized with antigenic drift variants of A(H1N1) viruses, A/Puerto Rico/8/1934 (PR8) and its antigenic variant A/Puerto Rico/8/1934-S12a (S12a), which resulted in higher-affinity antibodies to the primed PR8 HA protein. However, these mice still developed antibodies that reacted to S12a, albeit at a lower HI titer (
12). Despite developing a biased antibody response toward PR8, passive transfer of PR8-S12a-immune sera protected naive mice from S12a challenge. On the other hand, epidemiological and modeling studies suggest that immune imprinting provides limited protection against antigenically more distinct variants than the imprinted strain (
13,
14) due to structural similarity and conserved protective epitopes unique to either group 1 HA or group 2 HA proteins.
The immune imprinting patterns of anti-NA antibodies are relatively less studied due in part to the limited knowledge on the NA antigenic changes over time. Seasonal influenza vaccines have focused on generating neutralizing anti-HA antibodies against HA drift variants since the initial licensure in 1945. An observational study reported the age-dependent immune imprinting of anti-NA antibodies using historical N1 and N2 strains that were distantly related in antigenicity (
15). It is unknown if age-dependent immune imprinting can be similarly observed using well-defined drifted NA proteins as the virus continues to evolve over time. As HA and NA drift variants evolve discordantly (
16–18), the age-dependent anti-HA and anti-NA antibody responses have not been systematically compared in parallel. Here, we characterized the NA antigenicity of seasonal A(H1N1) viruses from 1977 to 1991 to complete the NA antigenic profile of A(H1N1) and A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses circulating in humans. By comparing imprinting patterns of anti-HA and anti-NA antibody responses, a broader cross-reactivity of anti-NA antibody responses than anti-HA antibody responses was observed.
DISCUSSION
We characterized the antigenic changes of N1 NAs of A(H1N1) from 1977 to 1991, which completed the NA antigenic characterization of A(H1N1) and A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses circulating in humans since the 1950s, as the A(H1N1) virus reemerged in 1977 was genetically related to A(H1N1) virus that circulated in the 1950s (
25). From 1977 to 2020, changes in H1 antigenicity have been documented with a total of 13 WHO-recommended A(H1N1) (
n = 10) and A(H1N1)pdm09 (
n = 3) vaccine strains. During this time, only 6 N1 antigenic changes occurred in A(H1N1) (
n = 4) and A(H1N1)pdm09 (
n = 2) viruses based on current and previous studies (
17,
18,
23), supporting the dissonant nature of antigenic drift of NA from HA (
16–18,
23). By profiling the anti-HA and anti-NA antibody responses against this antigenically different A(H1N1) and A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses of 130 subjects born between 1950 and 2015, we observed age-dependent imprinting of both anti-HA and anti-NA antibody responses with the peak HI and NI antibodies generally detected from subjects 4 to 12 years old at the year of isolation of each antigenically distinct A(H1N1) strains. Interestingly, the HI response against the A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses was age independent without apparent peak HI titer detected in any age group; however, the NI response against the A(H1N1)pdm09 was age dependent with the peak NI titers detected from those 6 to 10 years old at the year of virus isolation. We also observed that 90% of the participants possessed ≥1:40 NI titers against more than one antigenically different NA protein, while only 67.7% of the participants possessed ≥1:40 HI titers against more than one antigenically different HA protein, suggesting that the antibodies generated to target the NA were more cross-reactive than those generated to target the HA receptor binding domain. Anti-NA antibodies have been established as a correlate of protection against influenza virus infection (
4–7). As HA antigenic changes occur more frequently, anti-NA antibodies are expected to provide prolonged protection against HA drift variants if these strains continue to share NA antigenicity. Furthermore, the more cross-reactive nature of the anti-NA antibodies may provide partial protection against NA drift variants. Our results support the inclusion of NA antigen as a component of annual influenza vaccine preparation.
We identified that the NA of USSR/77, Singapore/86, and Texas/91 were antigenically distinct by two-way analysis, while there was a one-way antigenic change between the NA of USSR/77 and Chile/83. Kilbourne et al. (
16) previously reported antigenic stasis of NA in A(H1N1) vaccine strains between 1980 and 1983, but a one-way antigenic change was observed from the study. Similarly, one-way antigenic change was observed while characterizing the N to K change at residue 386 from USSR/77 to Singapore/86, as changes in NI titers against USSR-N386K or Singapore-K386N were only observed with the use of heterologous ferret antisera. Previous studies by Sandbulte et al. and Gao et al. also identified that the antigenic drifts of N1 NAs were evident in one direction (
17,
23). This raises the possibility that a one-way drift might not result in a complete loss of protection, as the homologous antisera were able to tolerate a single amino acid change associated with antigenic drift. This also coincides with the observation that most of our study subjects possess ≥1:40 NI titers against more than one antigenically different NA protein. The broader breadth of NI responses can be supported by the conserved epitopes (N273 and N309) mapped by Chen et al. (
26) using human MAbs that cross-react with A(H1N1) and A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses from 1918 to 2017, although escape mutants have been selected with these cross-reactive MAbs
in vitro (
27). Wan et al. (
28) recognized mouse Mab-binding epitopes (group B MAbs identifying residues 273, 338, and 339) that were conserved across NAs of A(H1N1) and A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses from 1918 to 2009.
The amino acid substitution N386K was identified to be responsible for the one-way antigenic drift from USSR/77 to Singapore/86. While N386 was preserved among A(H1N1) strains circulated from 1977 to 1984, A(H1N1) strains circulated from 1986 to 1988 harbored K386 and formed a separate cluster in the N1 phylogenetic tree. The subsequent K386D change found in A(H1N1) strains circulated from 1988 to 2008 may similarly result in NA antigenic drift from Singapore/86 to Texas/91. Interestingly, the N386K change was also reported to cause a one-way NA antigenic change in the A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses. The N386K change was reported to result in the loss of a potential glycosylation site and the NA antigenic drift between California/09 and Michigan/15 (
18,
23). Pair-wise epistatic amino acid substitutions leading to changes in local net charges at the NA antigenic site have been implicated in maintaining viral fitness during evolution (
29), and further research is needed to identify the role of epistatic changes in the proximity of residue 386. Taken together, these results showed N386K evolved independently from A(H1N1) and A(H1N1)pdm009 viruses and suggested convergent evolution in N1 NA of human influenza viruses.
Age-dependent imprinting of anti-HA and anti-NA antibody responses was observed from 130 subjects born between 1950 and 2015, with peak HI and NI antibodies generally detected from subjects at 4 to 12 years old when each of the antigenically distinct A(H1N1) strains was isolated. This finding is in accordance with previous studies showing age-dependent HI responses. Lessler et al. (
30) estimated that virus neutralization titers measured against a panel of A(H3N2) viruses were the highest in subjects aged ~7 years at the time of strain isolation and declined smoothly thereafter across all strains. A similar study by Yang et al. (
31) estimated the highest HI titers against a panel of A(H3N2) viruses at a median age of 4.3 years (IQR, 2.0 to 6.9 years) during strain isolation. Overall, the results suggest that primary exposure to seasonal influenza viruses occurred within the first decade of life, which agrees with the higher infection attack rates of seasonal influenza viruses in children than in adults (
32,
33). Interestingly, the HI response against the A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses did not show an apparent age-dependent pattern. A higher infection attack rate of A(H1N1)pdm09 virus was similarly reported in children than in adults during the first year of the pandemic (
34,
35). However, an increasing proportion of adults were infected by the A(H1N1)pdm09 virus in subsequent years (
36), which may have weakened the age-dependent HI response against the A(H1N1)pdm09 virus. In comparison, the NI responses against the A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses were age dependent, with peak NI titers detected from those at 6 to 12 years old at the time of virus isolation. It is unclear if anti-NA antibodies raised against A(H1N1) viruses conferred cross-protection against A(H1N1)pdm09 virus in adults, while the age-dependent anti-NA antibodies against A(H1N1)pdm09 were developed among those who experience A(H1N1)pdm09 as the first influenza virus infection in life. Our study is limited by the vaccination history and recent infection history of the study subjects. However, sera were collected during 2020 to 2021 when minimal influenza virus activity in the community may have reduced the interference of recent influenza virus infection on HI and NI responses.
HI and NI antibody responses continue to be shaped by repeated infection and vaccination with antigenically similar or distinct strains during our lifetime. Our study confirmed the age-dependent HI and NI responses and identified the more broadly cross-reactive nature of anti-NA antibodies than the anti-HA antibodies. Future longitudinal studies where individuals are followed up since birth could provide better insights into protection conferred by the anti-HA and anti-NA antibodies. Our study supports the inclusion of NA protein into annual influenza vaccine preparation and emphasizes the importance of routinely monitoring of NA antigenic drifts in parallel with HA evolution.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Cell culture.
Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells and human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293T cells purchased from American type cell culture (ATCC) were grown in minimum essential media (MEM) and Opti-MEM, respectively (Gibco). The MEM used for cell culture was supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (Gibco), penicillin (100 U/mL) and streptomycin (100 μg/mL) (Gibco), vitamins (Sigma-Aldrich), and N-2-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N′-2-ethanesulfonic acid (HEPES, Gibco). The infection media (MEM, Gibco) used for viral infection was supplemented with 0.3% bovine serum albumin (Sigma-Aldrich), penicillin (100 U/mL) and streptomycin (100 μg/mL) (Gibco), vitamins (Sigma-Aldrich) and HEPES (Gibco).
Viruses.
Recombinant H6N1 viruses were generated for serological analysis using plasmid-based reverse genetics, as previously described (
37). The NA genes of A(H1N1) and A(H1N1)pdm09 vaccine strains for the period 1977 to 2015 (A/USSR/90/77, A/Chile/01/83, A/Singapore/06/86 and A/Texas/36/91, A/Brisbane/59/07, A/California/04/09-pdm09, and A/Michigan/45/15-pdm09) were RT-PCR amplified and cloned into the pHW2000 vector. The HA gene of A/Teal/Hong Kong/W312/97 (H6N1) has been cloned into pHW2000, as described previously (
38). The HA and NA plasmids were cotransfected with pHW181, pHW182, pHW183, pHW185, pHW187, and pHW188 derived from A/Puerto Rico/8/34 (PR8) in 293T cells using TransIT (Mirus) and Opti-MEM (Gibco) to generate recombinant H6N1 viruses. Transfection supernatants were harvested and passaged in MDCK cells at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 0.001 PFU/cell to prepare stock viruses. The HA and NA genes of all stock viruses were sequence verified using sanger sequencing prior to use.
The egg-passaged A(H1N1) A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses, A/USSR/90/77, A/Singapore/06/86, A/Texas/36/91, A/Bayer/272/95, A/Beijing/07/95, A/New Caledonia/20/99, A/Brisbane/59/07, A/California/04/09-pdm09, and A/Michigan/45/15-pdm09, used in the hemagglutinin inhibition (HI) assay were kindly supplied by the center for disease control and prevention (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia and Francis Crick Institute, Midland, London. The viruses were propagated in 9- to 11-day-old specific pathogen-free (SPF) embryonated chicken eggs. The allantoic cavity of each egg was injected with 100 μL of virus diluted in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), supplemented with penicillin-streptomycin (Gibco) and gentamicin (Gibco). The site of virus injection was sealed, and the eggs were incubated at 37°C for 48 h. The eggs were then transferred to 4°C to be kept overnight before harvesting the virus.
Ferret antisera.
Ferret antisera raised against wild-type A(H1N1) viruses (A/USSR/90/77, A/Hong Kong/117/77, A/Brazil/11/78, A/Lackland/3/78, A/Ostrava/12/80, A/Dakar/4363/81, A/Finland/10/81, A/Firenze/13/83, A/Chile/01/83, A/Victoria/4/84, A/Singapore/06/86, A/Taiwan/1/86, A/Sichuan/4/88, and A/Texas/36/91) were generously provided by Francis Crick Institute (Midland, London) and by CDC (Atlanta, GA).
Study group and serum samples.
Human serum for the cross-sectional study was collected from blood donors at 18 to 70 years of age (n = 110) from April to August 2020 (IRB number UW-132). The pediatric samples were collected for a study on SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients aged 5 to 17 years (n = 20) from May 2020 to February 2021 (UW 21–093) during the symptom onset of day 0 to 7 months as a part of a previous study. A total of 130 individuals aged 5 to 70 was included in the serology study.
ELLA to measure the neuraminidase-inhibiting antibody titers.
NI antibody titers were measured as previously described (
20). First, the dilution of the virus that resulted in a 90 to 95% maximum signal was elected for use in serology. The sera were heat treated (56°C for 45 min), 2-fold serially diluted in phosphate-buffered saline–bovine serum albumin (PBS–BSA) and added to duplicate wells on a fetuin (Sigma-Aldrich) coated plate. An equal volume of the selected virus dilution was added to all serum-containing wells in addition to wells containing diluent without serum that served as a virus-only control. The plates were incubated for 16 to 18 h at 37°C, then washed with PBS–0.05% Tween 20 (PBS-T) before adding 100 μL/well peanut agglutinin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase (PNA-HRPO, Sigma-Aldrich). Plates were incubated at room temperature for 2 h and washed with PBS-T before adding
O-phenylenediamine dihydrochloride (OPD, Sigma-Aldrich) to the plate. Then, 100 μL of the OPD substrate was added to each well on all plates and incubated in the dark, and the color reaction was stopped by adding 100 μL/well of 1 N sulfuric acid. The plates were read at 490 nm for 0.1 s using a microplate fluorimeter (FLUOstar OPTIMA F, BMG LABTECH).
HI assay to measure the anti-HA antibody titers.
Human sera were treated with receptor-destroying enzyme (RDE) II (Accurate, no. YCC340-122) overnight and were heat inactivated for 30 min at 56°C. The heat-inactivated sera were serially 2-fold diluted and incubated with A(H1N1) and A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses diluted to 8 HA/50 μL for 30 min at room temperature. Next, 0.5% turkey RBCs were added to the mixture and incubated for 30 min. The highest sera dilution that inhibited hemagglutination was recorded as the HI titer.
Antigenic cartography.
Antigenic cartography of endpoint ELLA two-way NI titers (
Table 1) generated using recombinant influenza H6N1 viruses and polyclonal A(H1N1)-raised ferret antisera were optimized over 1,000 iterations into a two-dimensional (2D) antigenic landscape with the ACMACS-API software suite (version acmacs-c2-20161026-0717 and i19 build host) (
39). NI titer values of 5 were assigned for all results below the ELLA limit-of-detection (NI titer <10). Modeled NI trends were rendered into 2D X/Y-mapping coordinates and annotated in tableau desktop (version 2022.3.0). All applied code sets are available from the authors upon request.
Genetic analysis.
The phylogenetic tree was constructed using the full coding region of the NA gene of 89 selected human A(H1N1) strains from 1977 to 2008 obtained from global initiative on sharing all influenza data (GISAID). NA nucleotide sequences were aligned, and the maximum-likelihood tree (bootstrap 500 replicates) was constructed using molecular evolutionary genetics analysis (MEGA, version 11.0.10). The constructed tree was visualized with the Geneious Prime 2023.0.1.
Site-directed mutagenesis.
Single amino acid changes, S247N, K369R, N386K, and R434N were introduced into the plasmid-encoding USSR/77-NA gene, and the amino acid change K386N was introduced into the plasmid-encoding Singapore/86-NA gene using the QuikChange II site-directed mutagenesis kit (Agilent Technologies).
Statistical analysis.
RStudio (version 1.3.1093) was used to generate generalized additive model (GAM) fitted to log2 HI and NI titer against the age of the individuals at the time of virus isolation using the mgcv package (version 1.8-33).