Briefly describe a mechanim of virus entry into the cells and give one example of a virus that uses that mechanism for cell entry. Solution Enveloped viruses gain entry to cells by use of specific viral proteins that have membrane fusion - inducing properties. for example influenza. Influenza virions bind to sialic acid (also known as N-acetyl neuraminic acid) on the cell surface and are endocytosed. The endocytic vesicles become acidified (pH drops from 7 to around 5), and at this pH, the hemaglutinin (HA) trimers in the influenza envelope undergo a structural transition. At some stage the HA monomer is cut into two polypeptides, HA1 and HA2. When the pH drops to 5, the amino terminal end of HA2 flips \"upward\" from an internal position to become exposed to the aqueous environment. This end of HA2 (called the \"fusion peptide\") is highly hydrophobic, and it interacts with the vesicle membrane and causes the viral envelope and the vesicle membrane to fuse. This fusion event dumps the viral core into the cell\'s cytoplasm..