Structural characterization of viral fusion proteins
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Updated: Aug 11, 2026

Method for Measurement of Viral Fusion Kinetics at the Single Particle Level
Published on: September 7, 2009
1Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, New Jersey 08544, USA.
Abstract:
Infection by enveloped viruses is initiated by the fusion of viral and cellular membranes. In many cases, the viral membrane proteins that mediate fusion must undergo conformational changes to become active. Influenza hemagglutinin, for example, is activated by a dramatic conformational rearrangement, triggered by the low pH of the intracellular compartment in which fusion occurs. Structural characterization of this rearrangement has led to a reconsideration of how hemagglutinin mediates membrane fusion.
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