The M2 protein of influenza A virus forms a pH-gated proton channel that is important for viral infection and replication. The antiviral drug amantadine used to be effective in blocking this channel, until the recent emergence of a mutant, S31N, of the M2 transmembrane domain rendered the viruses completely resistant. The high- resolution structure of the M2 transmembrane peptide (M2TMP) is recently determined by X-ray crystallography and solution NMR. However, the two structures concluded dramatically different drug binding sites and noticeably different helix orientations and sidechain conformations. Since the X-ray and solution NMR structures were solved in detergents, these differences urge for high-resolution structural investigations in the more biologically relevant environment of lipid bilayers. Elucidation of the atomic-level structure of this important proton channel will help to develop new inhibitors to prevent future influenza pandemics. The broad, long-term objective of this work is to elucidate the structure and dynamics of the M2 protein in lipid bilayers in many of its functional states using solid- state NMR spectroscopy. We wish to understand how M2 conducts protons, how drug molecules block the channel, and how site-specific mutations alter the structure to evade drug binding. In the first funding period, we will focus on the transmembrane domain of the protein, and characterize the apo M2TMP in the closed state (high pH), the drug-complexed peptide in the closed state, and the apo peptide in the open state (low pH). We will also investigate the structure of the main amantadine-resistant mutant, S31N-M2TMP, and compare it with the structure of the wild-type peptide. Our main method is high-resolution magic-angle spinning (MAS) solid-state NMR, which allows atomic-resolution structural information to be obtained from unoriented hydrated lipid membrane samples. Based on our preliminary data, we hypothesize that a key element of M2TMP is its conformational flexibility, which is manifested as drug- and pH-induced backbone and sidechain conformational changes, mobility changes, and membrane-induced helix orientation changes. We will test this general hypothesis by measuring chemical shift perturbations, 13C and 15N linewidths, nuclear spin relaxation times, and the helix orientation in various states of the peptide. Experiments at physiological temperature will characterize the dynamic conformational fluctuations of the peptide, while low-temperature experiments will yield the average conformation and conformational distribution. We will further determine intermolecular distances between the drug and the peptide using both quantitative dipolar recoupling experiments and semi-quantitative spin diffusion techniques. Our goal is to obtain a high-resolution structure of bilayer-bound M2TMP with both backbone and sidechain constraints, and to elucidate the structural differences due to drug binding pH change, and mutation.
Atomic-resolution structure determination of the M2 protein of influenza A viruses in lipid bilayers is directly relevant to treating influenza infection and preventing future flu pandemics in the US and worldwide. The high-resolution structural information will be crucial for the design of new antiviral drugs to target the drug-resistant mutant proton channel, S31N-M2 in influenza A viruses.
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