Browsing by Author "Michaela J. Conley"
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Publication Calicivirus VP2 Forms A Portal-like Assembly Following Receptor Engagement(Nature Publishing Group, 2019) ;Michaela J. Conley ;Marion McElwee ;Liyana Azmi ;Mads Gabrielsen ;Olwyn Byron ;Ian G. GoodfellowDavid BhellaTo initiate infection, many viruses enter their host cells by triggering endocytosis following receptor engagement. However, the mechanisms by which non-enveloped viruses escape the endosome are poorly understood. Here we present near-atomic-resolution cryo-electron microscopy structures for feline calicivirus both undecorated and labelled with a soluble fragment of its cellular receptor, feline junctional adhesion molecule A. We show that VP2, a minor capsid protein encoded by all caliciviruses1,2, forms a large portal-like assembly at a unique three-fold axis of symmetry, following receptor engagement. This assembly—which was not detected in undecorated virions—is formed of twelve copies of VP2, arranged with their hydrophobic N termini pointing away from the virion surface. Local rearrangement at the portal site leads to the opening of a pore in the capsid shell. We hypothesize that the portal-like assembly functions as a channel for the delivery of the calicivirus genome, through the endosomal membrane, into the cytoplasm of a host cell, thereby initiating infection. VP2 was previously known to be critical for the production of infectious virus3; our findings provide insights into its structure and function that advance our understanding of the Caliciviridae.