Crystal structures of murine polyomavirus in complex with straight-chain and branched-chain sialyloligosaccharide receptor fragments.
Stehle, T., Harrison, S.C.(1996) Structure 4: 183-194
- PubMed: 8805524 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/s0969-2126(96)00021-4
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
1SID, 1SIE - PubMed Abstract: 
Murine polyomavirus recognizes (alpha2,3)-linked alpha-5-N-acetylneuraminic acid (sialic acid) on the surface of susceptible cells. While all strains bind to straight-chain receptors terminating in (alpha2,3)-linked sialic acid, some strains also bind to branched oligosaccharides that carry a second, (alpha2,6)-linked sialic acid. The ability to bind to these branched-chain receptors correlates with a single amino acid mutation at position 91 on the outer surface of the major capsid protein, VP1, and with a significant decrease in tumorigenicity.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.