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J Virol. Amino acid residues in the fusion peptide pocket regulate the pH of activation of the H5N1 influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) protein.

Giuseppe

Emeritus
J Virol. 2009 Feb 4. [Epub ahead of print]

Amino acid residues in the fusion peptide pocket regulate the pH of activation of the H5N1 influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) protein.

Reed ML, Yen HL, Dubois RM, Bridges OA, Salomon R, Webster RG, Russell CJ. - Division of Virology, Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105-3678; Department of Molecular Sciences, University of Tennessee, Memphis, TN 38163.

The receptor specificity and cleavability of the hemagglutinin (HA) protein have been shown to regulate influenza A virus transmissibility and pathogenicity, but little is known about how its pH of activation contributes to these important biological properties.
To identify amino acid residues that regulate the acid stability of the HA protein of H5N1 influenza viruses, we performed a mutational analysis of the HA protein of the moderately pathogenic A/chicken/Vietnam/C58/04 (H5N1) virus.
Nineteen HA proteins containing point mutations in the HA2 coiled-coil domain or in an HA1 histidine or basic patch were generated.
Wild-type and mutant HA plasmids were transiently transfected in cell culture and analyzed for total protein expression, surface expression, cleavage efficiency, pH of fusion and pH of conformational change.
Four mutations to residues in the fusion peptide pocket, Y23H and H24Q in the HA1 subunit and E105K and N114K in the HA2 subunit, and a K58I mutation in the HA2 coiled coil domain significantly altered the pH of activation of the H5 HA protein.
In some cases, the magnitude and direction of changes of individual mutations in the H5 HA protein differed considerably from similar mutations in other influenza A virus HA subtypes.
Introduction of Y23H, H24Q, K58I and N114K mutations into recombinant viruses resulted in viral-expressed HA proteins with similar shifts in the pH of fusion.
Overall, the data show that residues comprising the fusion peptide pocket are important in triggering pH-dependent activation of the H5 HA protein.

PMID: 19193808 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
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Re: J Virol. Amino acid residues in the fusion peptide pocket regulate the pH of activation of the H5N1 influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) protein.

It is long past time to investigate ph and the effect it has on flu replication.
 
Re: J Virol. Amino acid residues in the fusion peptide pocket regulate the pH of activation of the H5N1 influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) protein.

I came across a couple of studies regarding pH dependant viruses; gs and I discussed them in this thread at his forum.
http://www.setbb.com/fluwiki2/viewtopic.php?t=437&mforum=fluwiki2

This was one of the remarks from one study that I had a difficult time understanding how it would happen in a human: "In conclusion, our present results show that for optimal expression of fusion activity, influenza virus must be bound to the target membrane before it is exposed to low pH."

If a virus is inhaled in through the nose, then I don't see how the above comment can happen. However, if it enters through the mouth and attaches at the back of the throat (can it attach to the tonsil area?), then I wonder if drinking acidic beverages aids the virus?

Of course, maybe AI reacts differently to pH than seasonal virus.
 
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