The SFB 1078 kindly invites you to the the following colloquium talk, hosted by Adam Lange:

Prof. Mei Hong (Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA)

Title: Structure & Dynamics of Viral Proton and Cation Channels – Influenza M2 and SARS-CoV-2 E

Abstract: Viroporins are small ion channels that are important for the lifecycle and pathogenicity of many enveloped viruses. Elucidating their structure, dynamics and mechanism of action is important both for a fundamental understanding of ion channels and for designing channel inhibitors as antiviral drugs. In this talk I will present our NMR studies of the proton conduction mechanisms of influenza A and B viruses’ M2 proteins, and the structure of the SARS-CoV-2 E cation channel. Using ¹³C, ¹⁵N and ¹H NMR, we have obtained detailed information about the proton conduction mechanism, kinetics and equilibria of AM2 and BM2 proteins, the site-specific as well as whole-body motions of the M2 proteins that mediate proton conduction, and the distinct water dynamics in the closed and open BM2 channels. Combining ¹⁹F NMR with ¹³C and ¹⁵N NMR, we also determined the first high-resolution structure of SARS-CoV-2 E protein’s transmembrane domain in lipid bilayers. This structure indicates the site of drug binding and provides a structural framework for designing more potential E inhibitors.