A new study from the Cusack group at EMBL Grenoble and published in the journal Nature Communications, sheds light on the different mutations that the avian influenza virus can undergo to be able to replicate in mammalian cells. Significant biological differences between birds and mammals normally prevent avian influenza from spreading from birds to other species. To infect mammals, the avian influenza virus must mutate to overcome two main barriers: the ability to enter the cell and to replicate within that cell.
Source: Feedstuffs, August 2024. Link. (page 5) The results of the study show that ANP32 acts as a bridge between the two viral polymerases – called replicase and encapsidase. The names reflect the two distinct conformations taken up by the polymerases to perform two different functions – creating copies of the viral RNA (replicase) and packaging the copy inside a protective coating with ANP32’s help (encapsidase).