Characterization of the rotavirus assembly pathway in situ using cryoelectron tomography.

ABSTRACT: Rotavirus assembly is a complex process that involves the stepwise acquisition of protein layers in distinct intracellular locations to form the fully assembled particle. Understanding and visualization of the assembly process has been hampered by the inaccessibility of unstable intermediates. We characterize the assembly pathway of group A rotaviruses observed in situ within cryo-preserved infected cells through the use of cryoelectron tomography of cellular lamellae. Our findings demonstrate that the viral polymerase VP1 recruits viral genomes during particle assembly, as revealed by infecting with a conditionally lethal mutant. Additionally, pharmacological inhibition to arrest the transiently enveloped stage uncovered a unique conformation of the VP4 spike. Subtomogram averaging provid

SUBMITTER: Shah PNM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7615348 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature