Structure of the influenza virus A H5N1 nucleoprotein: implications for RNA binding, oligomerization, and vaccine design

• Published in: The FASEB journal Vol. 22; no. 10; pp. 3638 - 3647
• Main Authors: Ng, Andy Ka-Leung, Zhang, Hongmin, Tan, Kemin, Li, Zongli, Liu, Jin-huan, Chan, Paul Kay-Sheung, Li, Sui-Mui, Chan, Wood-Yee, Au, Shannon Wing-Ngor, Joachimiak, Andrzej, Walz, Thomas, Wang, Jia-Huai, Shaw, Pang-Chui
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology 01.10.2008
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Antiviral Agents - chemistry; Antiviral Agents - pharmacology; Crystallography, X-Ray; Drug Design; Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype - chemistry; Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype - drug effects; Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype - immunology; Influenza Vaccines - chemistry; Influenza Vaccines - immunology; Molecular Sequence Data; Nucleoproteins - chemistry; Nucleoproteins - drug effects; Nucleoproteins - immunology; Protein Conformation; RNA - chemistry; Viral Core Proteins - chemistry; Viral Core Proteins - drug effects; Viral Core Proteins - immunology

The threat of a pandemic outbreak of influenza virus A H5N1 has become a major concern worldwide. The nucleoprotein (NP) of the virus binds the RNA genome and acts as a key adaptor between the virus and the host cell. It, therefore, plays an important structural and functional role and represents an...