Using fusion peptide mutations to explain influenza viral fusion mechanisms

Peter Kasson, Georgia Institute of Technology

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Enveloped viruses such as influenza, Ebola, SARS, and HIV enter and infect cells via a process of membrane fusion. Despite decades of research, much remains unknown regarding the biophysical mechanisms of viral membrane fusion, and viral entry has remained a difficult target for pharmacological inhibition. When faced with the potential for rapidly emerging and highly virulent infections, such an understanding of fusion becomes of particular importance to both fundamental biology and national health.