Genomic sequence studies of zoonotic disease viruses including influenza viruses with a novel bioinformatics method

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 23500371
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Bioinformatics/Life informatics
• Research Institution: Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: IKEMURA Toshimichi 長浜バイオ大学, バイオサイエンス研究科, 客員教授 (50025475)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): ABE Takashi 新潟大学, 自然科学研究科, 准教授 (30390628)
• Project Period (FY): 2011-04-28 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: インフルエンザ / 人獣共通感染症 / ゲノム配列解析 / ビッグデータ / ウイルス / オリゴヌクレオチド / 核酸医薬

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Influenza virus presents significant threat to public health, and its pandemics has often been initiate by introduction of this virus from animal sources. Prediction of genomic sequence changes and surveillance of potentially hazardous strains that will cause new pandemics are important issues. We analyzed genome sequences with oligonucleotide BLSOMs and found the composition to differ between avian and human strains. Oligonucleotide composition of the pandemic H1N1/09 was different from that of human seasonal strains, and directional changes in composition in the pandemic strains toward seasonal human strains were observed even within the first pandemic year. This study developed new strategies for surveilling potentially hazardous strains that will cause new pandemics among humans.
By similarly analyzing all ebolavirus genome sequences available, we have also found the time-dependent directional changes in oligonucleotide composition during the recent pandemic in West Africa.

Free Research Field

ゲノム情報解析