title: The NB protein is an integral component of the membrane of influenza B virus.
abstract: The results of biochemical and immunoelectron microscopic studies provide evidence that the NB protein is an integral component of the influenza B virion. Its glycosylation and orientation in the membrane were shown to be equivalent to that of NB in the plasma membrane of virus-infected cells. Sensitivity to proteinase K showed that the N terminus is exterior to the virion and gold immunolabelling of freeze-fractured replicas showed that the C terminus is located in the interior of the virion. The similarities between NB of influenza B and M2 of influenza A viruses in structural features, their presence in the virion and possession of an ion channel activity suggest that, by analogy with the M2 protein, NB may also have a role in virus entry.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Medical Research, London, UK.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Betakova
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Nermut
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Hay
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004285:Dogs; D009981:Influenza B virus / Q000737:chemistry*; D016253:Microscopy, Immunoelectron; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011817:Rabbits; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins