Incomplete bunyavirus particles can cooperatively support virus infection and spread.

ABSTRACT: Bunyaviruses lack a specific mechanism to ensure the incorporation of a complete set of genome segments into each virion, explaining the generation of incomplete virus particles lacking one or more genome segments. Such incomplete virus particles, which may represent the majority of particles produced, are generally considered to interfere with virus infection and spread. Using the three-segmented arthropod-borne Rift Valley fever virus as a model bunyavirus, we here show that two distinct incomplete virus particle populations unable to spread autonomously are able to efficiently complement each other in both mammalian and insect cells following co-infection. We further show that complementing incomplete virus particles can co-infect mosquitoes, resulting in the reconstitution of infectiou

SUBMITTER: Bermudez-Mendez E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9665397 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature