Antigenic Shift Transfer Questions 1. Influenza viruses have 2 antigens on their surface: hemagglutinin and neuraminidase.

a. What function does hemagglutinin serve? How would the virus be affected if it wasnt functional? Hemagglutinin is a receptor protein that binds to cell surface and sends a signal to the target cell to swallow the virus, allowing entry into host cell. b. What role does neuraminidase have? Would the virus be able to live without it? Explain. Neuraminidase allows the virus to enact lysis and exit the host cell.

c. Flu shots are widely available across the country. However, these shots need to be readministered every season. Using your knowledge of hemagglutinin, neuraminidase, and the immune system, why is there no universal flu vaccine?

Flu bacteria often undergo antigenic shift via recombination of hemagluttinin genes from different protein. Thus the antigens that allow for entry and exit can change in any given amount of time, ensuring that new vaccines must be developed for each new flu season.

2. The avian flu (H5N1) is often fatal to humans when infected directly by birds. However after a human contracts avian flu, they rarely pass it on to others. It isnt contagious like the other influenza viruses (H1N1). Also, the virus is found in the intestines of birds, whereas in humans it infects the respiratory system.

a. Influenza viruses bind using the hemagglutinin on their surface. This attaches to glycoproteins found in certain intestinal cells of birds. For humans, however, cells containing glycoproteins are commonly found in mucus. Why would the avian flu affect humans in the respiratory system when it harms birds in the intestines?

b. What are 2 possible reasons that H5N1 cannot spread between humans? (hint: think about structure and how antigenic shift occurs)

3. The influenza viruses are very unpredictable. They have many ways that they can change their genes.

a. Which mechanism of change is portrayed in the picture above? What is the other main mechanism?

b. How does the outcome of this mechanism differ from that of the other?

c. When a virus goes through this mechanism of change can it still be recognized by the immune system?