Rotavirus cell entry

Abstract

The initial steps of viral infection involve the specific attachment of the viral particle to receptor(s) on the cell surface, followed by internalization of the virus into the cell and the subsequent uncoating of the virion to release the transcriptionally active particle. These events are essential for the successful initiation of a virus replication cycle and play an important role in tissue tropism and pathogenesis of viruses. Rotaviruses, the leading cause of severe childhood diarrhea, principally infect the mature enterocytes of the villi of the small intestine. Several cell-surface molecules have been implicated in the early interactions of rotavirus with its host cell, including sialic acid, various integrins, heat shock protein 70 and gangliosides. However, the mechanism by which rotaviruses enter cells is controversial, and both direct membrane penetration and endocytosis have been proposed. Recently developed molecular and biochemical tools have allowed the characterization of new endocytic pathways in mammalian cells. The description of these new pathways led us to review and discuss the available data on rotavirus cell entry.