Deep mutational scanning of the influenza A virus nonstructural protein 2 (NS2)

The influenza A virus nonstructural protein 2 (NS2) is a structural component of the viral particle. Avian influenza acquires adaptive mutations in NS2 when crossing the species barrier to escape restricted viral genome replication in mammalian cells. However, its mutational tolerance and consequential impacts are not well characterized. Here, the fitness effects of >1,900 mutations of A/WSN/1933 (H1N1) NS2 are probed using deep mutational scanning.