Large scale conformational dynamics control the function of H5N1 influenza polymerase
Thursday, December 10, 2015 - 09:55
in Biology & Nature
An international collaboration of scientists from the CEA, CNRS, University Joseph Fourier, the EMBL and the ILL has revealed the molecular function of a protein essential for replication of H5N1 influenza virus. A sub-domain of the viral polymerase undergoes large-scale structural reorganization to enable an essential part of the polymerase to enter the nucleus of the infected cell, where the viral genome is replicated. This study, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, illustrates how the flexibility of a protein allows it to adapt its function, facilitating infection of the host.