title: Hemagglutinin protein of Asian strains of human influenza virus A H1N1 binds to sialic acid--a major component of human airway receptors.
abstract: Hemagglutinin  (HA) protein plays an important role in binding the influenza virus to infected  cells and therefore mediates infection. Deposited HA sequences of 86 Asian  strains of influenza A (H1N1) viruses during the first outbreak were obtained  from the NCBI database and compared. Interaction of the HA protein of influenza  A (H1N1) virus with the human sialic acid receptor was also studied using  bioinformatics. Overall, not more than three single-point amino acid  variants/changes were observed in the HA protein region of influenza A (H1N1)  virus from Asian countries when a selected group sequence comparison was made.  The bioinformatics study showed that the HA protein of influenza A (H1N1) binds  to the sialic acid receptor in human airway receptors, possibly key to  air-borne infection in humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. khchua@um.edu.my
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Chua
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Chai
mesh_terms: D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D001208:Asia; D001665:Binding Sites; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D006860:Hydrogen Bonding; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009154:Mutation; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding; D011991:Receptors, Virus / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus; D011991:Receptors, Virus; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid