It is the season of the ….

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It’s that time of year again.  No, I don’t mean the wicked Christmas shopping season.  It’s flu season.

So, that means you (anyone over the age of 6 months of age) need to get a flu shot.    Or, maybe, if you are between 2 and 49 years of age, you can obtain the flu mist prophylactic.  (Oh, but if you’re pregnant, have asthma or allergies- stick to the vaccine!)  Which also means we hope that the prognosticators have chosen the right mutant of the virus with which they can immunize our population.

Influenza Virus
CDC vision of the flu virus

Now, Dr. Tim Cross of Florida State, with his team members Drs. Y Miao, R Fu, HX Zhou, have published some new findings in the journal, Structure.  Using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), they were able to discern the various portions of the flu virus- and how it becomes activated to infect human cells.

Y’all remember that a virus (the individual particle is called a virion) is basically a protein sheath (called a capsid) surrounding DNA or RNA, the genetic elements of the biologic particle. Sometimes, there are external lipids coating the capsid, but not always.  These virions are inactive- until they infect a cell and turn its replicating machinery to produce “zillions” of new viruses.

The influenza virus (the flu) is an enveloped virus- one with a membrane coating, just like cells have membranes.  The flu virus has three different proteins- one of which is the M2 proton channel protein.  And, Cross’ group examined these with the “super” powered MRI (the NMR unit), enabling them to examine what happens when there is an interaction between  the virus and a host.

Once the virus infects the cell, it encounters an acidic environment.  This acidic milieu is what activates the M2 proton channel.  The protons traverse the channel, affording the membrane coat the ability to secure itself (effect fusion) to the host membrane. Once that happens, the infected cell is pumping out many copies of the virus.  Cross’ group actually saw the proton transport with their NMR device.

This new discovery will enable studies by the drug developers who’ve been trying to discern how the M2 channel operates.  Because before the swine flu mutation (2009), we actually had a few drugs that worked.  But, not since then, once the virus had evolved to a new form.

This new pathway elucidation will, hopefully, let us develop some new antimicrobials to keep the flu virus at bay.   That would be really exciting- to have a drug that we can take to ensure we don’t get the flu or don’t succumb to its effects- without guessing which variant may appear.

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