Avian Influenza H5‐Containing Virus‐Like Particles (VLPs): Host‐Cell Receptor Specificity by STD NMR Spectroscopy

Gripped by the flu: The emergence of a human pandemic influenza virus from an avian progenitor involves a switch in preferential binding of the influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA). Saturation transfer difference NMR spectroscopy of avian H5 chimeric virus-like particles (VLPs) encoding viral HA in a complex with α(2,3)-and α(2,6)-linked N-acetylneuraminides (3′SL and 6′SL, respectively) has shown that avian influenza H5-containing VLPs clearly discriminate between α(2,3)- and α(2,6)-linkages.