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Could not find this in any other thread, so here goes:
A team of European scientists has discovered a possible clue to how the bird flu virus might spread in humans. Using a 3-D image of a crucial part of the viral protein polymerase they found it sends signals to human host proteins instructing them to carry it into host cells where viral replication then proceeds.
Using this first ever atomic level visualization they found a previously overlooked "signal" that the polymerase molecule switches on when it wants to hitch a ride into the host nucleus.
This signal is "obeyed" by a transporter protein in the human host, importin alpha, which effectively "shuttles" the polymerase into the host nucleus where it can go about its business of replicating viral genome.
Using a sophisticated X-ray machine, the scientists were then able to look at a high-resolution image of the two proteins interacting with each other.
They discovered that protein mutations that were known to play a role in the transmission of bird flu to mammals were inside, or near to the site where the two proteins interacted.
The research team suggests that mutations of polymerase would thus change the efficiency of nuclear transport which in turn affects the ability of the virus to replicate in different species.
Dr. Niman, I believe this study confirms your suspicions/concerns regarding the growing threat of mutations/recombination in the PB2 RNA strand (E627K and others), and this strand being particularly important.
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