M2 Proton Channel: Difference between revisions

The M2 proton channel is a key protein that leads to viral infection.<ref name="Takeuchi" /> The M2 proton channel acidifies the virion which allows the viral matrix protein (M1) to disassociate from the ribonucleoprotein (RNP).<ref name="Wu">PMID:12972147 </ref> This allows the RNP to be transported to the nucleus of the cell. Several recent studies have looked at the effects of <scene name='User:Sarah_Henke/Sandbox_1/Amantadine/1'>amantadine</scene> ([[Symmetrel]])<ref name="Stouffer">PMID:18235504 </ref> and <scene name='User:Sarah_Henke/Sandbox_1/Rimantadine/1'>rimantadine</scene> ([[Flumadine]])<ref name="Schnell">PMID:18235503 </ref> on inhibiting the transfer of protons through the M2 channel.<ref name="Stouffer" /> Amantadine is a proton surrogate that competes with protons for binding to His37, the residue involved in the gating mechanism.<ref name="Lear" /> It has been found that M2 is resistant to these two drugs in 90% of humans, birds and pigs. Understanding the structure and function of this proton channel is necessary in solving the resistance problem.<ref name="Stouffer" />