Reovirus is a member of the Reoviridae family, and is a model system for other family members, including rotavirus, which is an important human pathogen, and bluetongue virus, which has agricultural significance as a livestock pathogen. Reovirus is non-enveloped, and virus particles must penetrate the cell membrane without the benefit of membrane fusion. Membrane translocation is known to be mediated by the myristoylated outer capsid protein mu1, but the mechanism remains largely obscure. A myristoylation-defective mutant will be used to test the hypothesis that the myristoyl moiety is important for membrane penetration. In addition, using mutants that are defective at undergoing conformational transitions associated with membrane penetration, the sequence determinants of capsid rearrangement will be investigated. These experiments aim to provide a more detailed understanding of membrane translocation by non-enveloped viruses, and may illuminate strategies for fighting infection by Reoviridae family members, and non-enveloped viruses in general.
