Bile salts alter the mouse norovirus capsid conformation: Possible implications for cell attachment and immune evasion

Michael B. Sherman, University of Texas Medical Branch
Alexis N. Williams, University of Texas Medical Branch
Hong Q. Smith, University of Texas Medical Branch
Christopher Nelson, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Craig B. Wilen, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Daved H. Fremont, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Herbert W. Virgin, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Thomas J. Smith, University of Texas Medical Branch

Abstract

Caliciviruses are single-stranded RNA viruses with 180 copies of capsid protein comprising the T=3 icosahedral capsids. The main capsid feature is a pronounced protruding (P) domain dimer formed by adjacent subunits on the icosahedral surface while the shell domain forms a tight icosahedral sphere around the genome. While the P domain in the crystal structure of human Norwalk virus (genotype I.1) was tightly associated with the shell surface, the cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of several members of the