Fusion pore conductance to determine the effects of mutating the structure of influenza virus hemagglutinin

Enveloped viruses, such as influenza, infect cells by fusing their viral envelope with the cell membrane. The fusion pore is a macromolecular structure that links two membranes that are fusing. This paper will focus on the fusion pore initiated by the hemagglutinin (HA) protein of influenza virus upon infection of a host cell. Mutations in the HA protein can alter the time-course and structure of the developing fusion pore. While there is a clear relationship between HA's structure and the dynamic opening of the pore, the initial 3D structure of the fusion pore as it first begins to form remains unknown. We have attempted to address this unanswered question by measuring fusion pore conductance - a one dimensional electrophysiological measurement - at millisecond time resolution for both wild type and mutant HA proteins, using an automated patch clamp apparatus. Correlating the entire life history of the fusion pore with the snapshots we get from 3D imaging (cryo-electron tomography) would allow us to capture the initial pore opening, as well as better understand the effect that mutating the structure of HA has on influenza viral infection. At this time, we have not yet been able to observe the fusion event; however, we do believe that future experimentation using fusion pore conductance to investigate the effects of HA's structure on influenza viral infection are both promising and necessary

New Discoveries in the Realm of Metal–Metal Multiple Bonds:[η5-(C5Me5)Co2], the First Organometallic Multiple-Bond Complex without Bridging Ligands

Double bond, yes or no? That is the poignant question in the case of the complex [Cp*CoCoCp*] prepared by J.J. Schneider et al. The Co-Co distance and the number of electrons suggest a double bond, while the H-1-NMR spectrum and the poor reactivity toward C2H4 and CO would suggest the contrary. Nevertheless, with this unbridged complex, the prerequisite for the synthesis of further such compounds and for studying the properties of these multibond systems was realized

What Kind of Modality Does the Materialist Need For His Supervenience Claim?

Materialists who do not deny the existence of mental phenomena usually claim that the mental supervenes on the physical, i.e. that there cannot be a change in the mental life of a man without there being a change in the man"s body. This modal claim is usually understood in terms of logical necessity. I argue that this is a mistake, resulting from assumptions inherited from logical empiricism, and that it should be understood in terms of synthetic necessity

If God brought about the Big Bang, did he do that before the Big Bang?\ud

If God brings about an event in the universe, does it have a preceding cause? The standard answer is: yes, it is caused by a divine willing. I propose an alternative view, based on a certain non-compatibilist solu-tion of the dilemma of free will: God"s actions, unlike human actions, are not initiated by willings, undertakings, or tryings, but God brings about the intended event directly. I explain what "bringing about directly" means