Force spectroscopy shows dynamic binding of influenza hemagglutinin and neuraminidase to sialic acid

The Influenza A virus (IAV) infects target cells through multivalent interactions of its major spike proteins hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) with the cellular receptor sialic acid (SA). HA is known to mediate the attachment of the virion to the cell, while NA enables the release of newly formed virions by cleaving SA from the cell. Since both proteins target the same receptor but have antagonistic functions, virus infection depends on a properly tuned balance of the kinetics of HA and NA activities for viral entry to and release from the host cell.

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