Deep mutational scanning of avian influenza PB2 to identify host-adaptive mutations

This study aims to comprehensively map the effect of mutations to an avian influenza PB2 protein that enhance growth in different host cells. We mutagenized the PB2 gene from the influenza strain A/Green-winged Teal/ Ohio/175/1986, and used these mutant plasmid libraries to generate mutant virus libraries, which we then passaged in human and avian cells. We deep sequenced the mutant plasmid and virus libraries along with unmutated plasmid and virus controls.