Activation of the influenza B M2 proton channel (BM2).

ABSTRACT: Influenza B viruses have co-circulated during most seasonal flu epidemics and can cause significant human morbidity and mortality due to their rapid mutation, emerging drug resistance, and severe impact on vulnerable populations. The influenza B M2 proton channel (BM2) plays an essential role in viral replication, but the mechanisms behind its symmetric proton conductance and the involvement of a second histidine (His27) cluster remain unclear. Here we perform the membrane-enabled continuous constant-pH molecular dynamics simulations on wildtype BM2 and a key H27A mutant to explore its pH-dependent conformational switch. Simulations capture the activation as the first histidine (His19) protonates and reveal the transition at lower pH values compared to AM2 is a result of electrostatic repu

SUBMITTER: Yue Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11291123 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature