Harbin experts draw the world's first influenza virus genetic map

How the flu virus that causes tens of millions of deaths is exactly replicated, and its genetic traits have been a mystery. After 6 years of research, experts from Harbin City successfully completed the cloning of the flu virus gene for the first time in the world and mapped the gene map. The results will be used to develop effective drugs that cut the proliferation of influenza virus. The influenza virus research group of Harbin Medical University, headed by microbiologist Qu Zhangyi, recently completed the cloning, expression and purification of the protein RNA polymerase gene that replicates the function of influenza virus in vivo. According to reports, the RNA polymerase of influenza virus is equivalent to human DNA and has genetic functions such as transcription and replication. Researchers have been working on the in vitro replication of influenza virus RNA since 1998. The project was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China. The researchers successfully cloned the three genes of the influenza virus RNA polymerase by asymmetric directional cloning method. In the prokaryotic expression system E. coli, the recombinant protein was efficiently expressed, and each recombinant protein was purified and tested. The function of each segment of the gene. Qu Zhangyi introduced that the team has cloned the influenza A virus. Using the same method, it can also clone genes associated with various influenza viruses. It is reported that the next step of the research group will be based on the results of functional identification, specific functional domains for virus transmission, screening for effective drugs to cut off the proliferation of the virus.