In a groundbreaking study published in Nature Microbiology, researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) reveal that the influenza A virus can alter its shape to optimize its ability to infect cells based on changing environmental conditions. This dynamic adaptation—where virus particles shift between spherical and filamentous forms—could provide new insights into how influenza A and similar viruses evade immune responses, adapt to their hosts, and persist in populations.
The research, led by scientists at NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), sought to explain why influenza A viruses often adopt filamentous shapes despite the energy demands associated with their formation. Prior to this study, the prevalence of this elongated structure had been poorly understood.
By developing a method to observe and measure the virus’s structure in real-time, the team discovered that influenza A viruses rapidly alter their shape under conditions that hinder infection. These conditions include the presence of antiviral antibodies or the incompatibility of the virus with the host’s immune system.
The study revealed that a virus’s shape is not predetermined by its strain, as previously thought, but instead is highly responsive to the surrounding environment. Researchers tested 16 different virus-cell combinations, which consistently showed that the virus shape adapts predictably in response to environmental changes.
This dynamic characteristic could help explain how influenza A virus filaments, which are known to resist inactivation by antibodies, manage to evade immune detection and continue infecting host cells. The researchers also aim to explore how viral mutations impact the virus’s ability to modify its shape, further enhancing its infectious potential.
Moreover, the study highlights that other viruses, including those responsible for diseases like measles, Ebola, and respiratory syncytial virus, also use a mixed-shape strategy to infect cells. The team’s findings open up new avenues for understanding viral evolution and immune evasion, with the potential to inform the development of future antiviral therapies.
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