Abstract: A
hemagglutinin (
HA) of influenza virus having a single semiconserved Gly residue within the transmembrane domain mutated to Leu (
G520L) was expressed on cells; these cells were bound to red blood cells.
Abstract: As evidence: 1) increasing temperature to 37 degrees C at neutral pH allowed fusion to proceed; 2) after achieving the intermediate, the two membranes did not separate from each other after proteolytic cleavage of
G520L because cells treated with proteinase K could not fuse upon temperature increase but could fuse upon the addition of chlorpromazine; and 3) at the point of the intermediate, adding exogenous lipids known to promote or inhibit the creation of hemifusion did not significantly alter the lipid dye spread that occurred upon increasing temperature, implying that at the intermediate, contacting membrane leaflets had already m