Biologists used mass spectrometry and AI modeling to track interactions between viral and host proteins. The discovery could aid in developing new antiviral drugs, reports infohub.kz.
Researchers from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Hamburg and the Leibniz Institute for Molecular Pharmacology (FMP) have for the first time compiled a detailed map of protein interactions between influenza A virus and human cells. Their findings were published in the journal Nature Microbiology.
To observe processes in intact cells, the authors combined crosslinking mass spectrometry (XL-MS) with the AlphaFold algorithm. The study revealed two key mechanisms of cell hijacking. First, the virus's surface protein hemagglutinin uses the cell's internal transport system for proper folding and modification. Second, infection leads to the dissolution of paraspeckles — nuclear organelles of the cell. Their destruction releases RNA-binding proteins that the virus uses for its own replication. The universality of these processes makes the identified protein contacts promising targets for developing drugs against seasonal and pandemic influenza.