Loss of α2,3-linked sialoside in the receptor-binding site of a H5N1 influenza hemagglutinin identified in a human patient
John H. Ni, Saeid Malek Zadeh, Alison Berezuk, Ryan Lynam, Peter Axerio-Cilies, Xing Quan Zhu, Katharine S. Tuttle, Gethin Owen, Maria Tokuyama, Sriram Subramaniam
The paper identifies a H5N1 influenza strain with reduced sialic acid binding due to loss of α2,3-linked sialoside in its HA receptor-binding site, correlating with lower virulence despite severe disease.
bioRxiv · Jan 22, 2026 · PreprintBiochemistry