ION CHANNELS FORMED BY SMALL PROTEINS FROM VIRUSES

离子通过蛋白质离子通道穿过细胞膜的运动对于正常细胞功能是必不可少的。我们已经发现，一些来自病毒的小蛋白质可以形成离子通道。研究这些简单的通道应该能为我们提供关于更复杂通道（如大脑中的通道）功能的线索，同时也能为我们提供关于病毒本身的信息。我们将测试罗斯河病毒的一种小蛋白质是否形成离子通道，还将测试我们以前已经证明可以形成离子通道的流感病毒和艾滋病病毒蛋白质中选定突变的影响。

Movements of ions across cell membranes through protein ion channels are essential for normal cell function. We have found that some small proteins from viruses can form ion channels. Studying these simple channels should give us clues about the function of more complex channels, such as those in the brain, as well as giving us information about the viruses themselves. We will test whether a small protein from Ross River virus forms ion channels and will also test the effects of selected mutations in proteins from influenza and AIDS viruses that we have shown previously to form ion channels.