Nilsson BE, te Velthuis AJW, Fodor E.
Journal of Virology, 91:e02467- 16. 29/01/2017
PMID: 28122973
Importance: Influenza A viruses are a major global health threat, not only causing disease in both humans and birds, but also placing significant strains on economies worldwide. Avian influenza A virus polymerases typically do not function efficiently in mammalian hosts and require adaptive mutations to restore polymerase activity. These adaptations include mutations in the 627-domain of the PB2 subunit of the viral polymerase, but it still remains to be established how these mutations enable host adaptation on a molecular level. In this study we characterise the role of the 627-domain in polymerase function and offer insights into the replication mechanism of influenza A viruses.