Computational investigation of influenza A virus M2 protein inhibition mechanism by ion channel blockers

The M2 protein of the influenza A virus, responsible for flu, is a homotetramer transmembrane protein, forming a transmembrane ion channel, where His 37s act as pH sensors and Trp 41s and Asp 44s act as channel gates. Opening of this channel leads to transfer of virus RNA into the human host. Thus, blocking this transfer is an important pharmaceutical strategy to stop infection. As a result of viral drug resistance, commercially available channel inhibitors, rimantadine (RIM) and amantadine (AMA), are not as effective as they used to be. Understanding binding sites and outcomes of binding will lead to new inhibitor design studies.