Seminarium "Modeling of Complex Systems"

The entry of influenza virus particles into host cells requires the fusion of viral and cellular lipid membranes. This process is mediated by a large viral protein called hemagglutinin (HA). Remarkably, specialised fragments of HA consisting of only 23 amino acids, known as fusion peptides, are capable of inducing membrane fusion on their own, without the support of the entire protein. Despite decades of study, the details of peptide-lipid interactions and the underlying mechanisms driving their fusogenic activity remain incompletely understood.In this talk, I will present results from fully atomistic molecular dynamics simulations that explore the behavior of fusion peptides within lipid membranes. These simulations provide direct insight into the conformational equilibrium of the peptide, its ability to penetrate into the membrane core, and a potential mechanism by which peptide units lower the free energy barrier for the formation of stalk, that is the first fusion intermediate.

The seminar will be held in hybrid mode: in room 1.40 (Faculty of Physics, UW) Join Zoom Meetinghttps://uw-edu-pl.zoom.us/j/94053335972?pwd=3ag9J6kMlYvbN6yJ7wmfo0G3bsaYWW.1Meeting ID: 940 5333 5972Passcode: 220764