Association with M1 at cell membrane As influenza viruses bud from the plasma membrane of infected cells, complete virions are not seen inside cells. In polarized epithelial cells, assembly and budding of influenza occurs from the apical plasma membrane (Schmitt, 2004). For efficient assembly, all virion components must accumulate at the budding site, and it is believed that the viral glycoprotein accumulation determines the site of virus assembly and budding (Nayak, 2004). M1 is thought to be the bridge between the envelope glycoproteins and the RNPs for assembly (Schmitt, 2004). M2 is also required, because if it is not present RNPs are not packaged into budding virions (McCown, 2005), however it role is not known. Authored: Marsh, G, 2007-04-30 20:49:40 Pubmed15298170 Pubmed15567494 Pubmed15731254 Reactome Database ID Release 43195926 Reactome, http://www.reactome.org ReactomeREACT_10077 Reviewed: Squires, B, Rush, MG, 2007-04-30 20:48:45 has a Stoichiometric coefficient of 100 has a Stoichiometric coefficient of 157 has a Stoichiometric coefficient of 2992 has a Stoichiometric coefficient of 37 has a Stoichiometric coefficient of 500 has a Stoichiometric coefficient of 60 has a Stoichiometric coefficient of 976 Gycosylated NA Tetramer Glycosylated, palmitylated and folded HA trimer palmitylated M2 Tetramer RNP pre-assembly complex Intracellular assembly complex