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Assays for the Specific Growth Rate and Cell-binding Ability of Rotavirus
10:49

Assays for the Specific Growth Rate and Cell-binding Ability of Rotavirus

Published on: January 28, 2019

Novel structural insights into rotavirus recognition of ganglioside glycan receptors

Xing Yu1, Barbara S Coulson, Fiona E Fleming

  • 1Institute for Glycomics, Gold Coast campus, Griffith University, Queensland 4222, Australia.

Journal of Molecular Biology
|September 28, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Rotaviruses attach to host cells using sialic acid-containing glycans. This study reveals the first atomic structures of rotavirus VP8* protein interacting with ganglioside G(M3) glycans, detailing this crucial viral attachment mechanism.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Structural Biology
  • Glycobiology

Background:

  • Rotaviruses cause significant childhood diarrheal disease globally.
  • Sialic acid-containing host cell oligosaccharides are essential for rotavirus attachment.
  • Detailed atomic models of rotavirus-glycan interactions were previously lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the first crystallographic structures of the rotavirus VP8* protein in complex with ganglioside G(M3) glycans.
  • To elucidate the precise molecular interactions governing rotavirus recognition of glycoconjugate receptors.
  • To correlate VP8* carbohydrate specificities with infectious rotavirus particle behavior.

Main Methods:

  • X-ray crystallography to obtain atomic structures of VP8*-glycan complexes.
  • Biochemical assays to assess the inhibition of rotavirus infectivity.
  • Comparative analysis of VP8* specificities from different rotavirus strains.

Main Results:

  • Presented the first atomic structures of rotavirus VP8* complexed with ganglioside G(M3) glycans.
  • Revealed key molecular details of rotavirus-ganglioside G(M3) glycan recognition.
  • Demonstrated a direct correlation between VP8* specificity and infectious virus particle behavior in porcine and monkey rotaviruses.
  • Indicated potential binding interactions with other sialic acid-containing gangliosides.

Conclusions:

  • The study provides unprecedented atomic insights into rotavirus attachment mechanisms.
  • Understanding these interactions is crucial for developing targeted antiviral strategies.
  • The findings pave the way for exploring broader rotavirus-glycan binding specificities.

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