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Avian Influenza Neuraminidase

Eric Martz
The first new influenza virus to emerge as an imminent pandemic threat in the 21st century is H1N1 swine flu. The drug oseltamivir (Tamiflu®) inhibits flu neuraminidase, a component necessary for virus spread, in susceptible flu strains. The development of oseltamivir was guided, in part, by crystallographically determined structures of flu neuraminidase, which is a homotetramer, shown with oseltamivir bound. Oseltamivir was designed to fit N2/N9 (neuraminidases from other strains of flu). Serendipitously, it also fits N1 by induced fit.

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Structure of Anticancer Ruthenium Half-Sandwich Complex Bound to Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3ß

G Atilla-Gocumen, L Di Costanzo, E Meggers. J Biol Inorg Chem. 2010 doi: 10.1007/s00775-010-0699-x
A crystal structure of an organometallic half-sandwich ruthenium complex bound to glycogen synthase kinase 3ß (GSK-3ß) reveals that the inhibitor binds to the ATP binding site via an induced fit mechanism utilizing several hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions. Importantly, the metal is not involved in any direct interaction with the protein kinase but fulfills a purely structural role.

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Polio is still here!
Polio vaccines have been available since the 1950s, but the challenges of vaccination in remote areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan have prevented worldwide eradication. In 2022, polio was found circulating in parts of New York State, USA. The polio virus has a small RNA genome enclosed in an icosahedral capsid composed of several proteins, shown cut in half. The structures of virus capsids can be explored using free FirstGlance in Jmol.

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