A novel functional site in the PB2 subunit of influenza A virus essential for acetyl-CoA interaction, RNA polymerase activity, and viral replication.

The PA, PB1, and PB2 subunits, components of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of influenza A virus, are essential for viral transcription and replication. The PB2 subunit binds to the host RNA cap (7-methylguanosine triphosphate (m(7)GTP)) and supports the endonuclease activity of PA to "snatch" the cap from host pre-mRNAs. However, the structure of PB2 is not fully understood, and the functional sites remain unknown.