Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) of hemagglutinin H5 and H7 subtypes emerge after introduction of lowpathogenic avian influenza viruses (LPAIVs) from wild birds into poultry flocks, followed by subsequent circulation and evolution. The acquisition of multiple basic amino acids at the endoproteolytical cleavage site of the hemagglutinin (HA) is a molecular indicator for high pathogenicity, at least for infections of gallinaceous poultry. Apart from the well-studied significance of the multibasic HA cleavage site, there is only limited knowledge on other alterations in the HA and neuraminidase (NA) molecules associated with changes in tropism during the emergence of HPAIVs from LPAIVs. We hypothesized that changes in tropism may require alterations of the sialyloligosaccharide specificities of HA and NA. To test this hypothesis, we compared a number of LPAIVs and HPAIVs for their HA-mediated binding and NA-mediated desialylation of a set of synthetic receptor analogs, namely, ␣2-3-sialylated oligosaccharides. NA substrate specificity correlated with structural groups of NAs and did not correlate with pathogenic potential of the virus. In contrast, all HPAIVs differed from LPAIVs by a higher HA receptor-binding affinity toward the trisaccharides Neu5Ac␣2-3Gal1-4GlcNAc (3=SLN) and Neu5Ac␣2-3Gal1-3GlcNAc (SiaLe c ) and by the ability to discriminate between the nonfucosylated and fucosylated sialyloligosaccharides 3=SLN and Neu5Ac␣2-3Gal1-4(Fuc␣1-3)GlcNAc (SiaLe x ), respectively. These results suggest that alteration of the receptor-binding specificity accompanies emergence of the HPAIVs from their low-pathogenic precursors. A vian influenza is a highly contagious infection with influenza A viruses, with a worldwide occurrence in aquatic wild bird populations which represent the major natural hosts of these viruses. Influenza A viruses are classified into subtypes according to their surface glycoproteins: 18 hemagglutinin (HA) and 11 neuraminidase (NA) antigenic subtypes have been identified (1, 2, 3). Avian influenza viruses (AIVs) are subdivided into groups of high and low pathogenicity. The presence of multiple basic amino acids at the endoproteolytical cleavage site of the HA is a molecular indicator for high pathogenicity, at least for infections of gallinaceous poultry (4,5,6,7,8). Influenza viruses of HA subtypes H5, H7, and H9 are commonly identified in terrestrial gallinaceous poultry (9, 10). Only low-pathogenic AIVs (LPAIVs) of subtypes H5 and H7 naturally evolve into highly pathogenic AIVs (HPAIVs), which cause severe infections with high rates of mortality in poultry (11,12,13,14) and can also be transmitted from birds to humans (15,16,17,18).The two viral glycoproteins, HA and NA, expressed on the surface of influenza virions play an important role in determining the pathogenic properties of the virus. Influenza virus infection is initiated by interactions between the viral HA and sialic acid-containing oligosaccharides on target cells. The NA cleaves off the terminal si...