Novel 3-C-alkylated-Neu5Ac2en derivatives as probes of influenza virus sialidase 150-loop flexibility

15 Oct 2012

This paper is HOT as recommended by the referees, and is free to access for 4 weeks.

Mark von Itzstein and co-workers have synthesised a series of novel C3 C-alkylated Neu5Ac2en derivatives, which by virtue of the substituent extending from C3 are probes of 150-loop flexibility in influenza virus sialidases.

Currently there is speculation as to what factors determine or affect loop flexibility in influenza A virus sialidases. The compounds described by Mark von Itzstein et al. in this HOT paper provide a way to probe sialidases for this flexibility and should help to elucidate the generality of 150-loop flexibility across all influenza virus sialidases, the factors that affect loop flexibility, and potentially the functional roles this flexibility may play.