Functions of Norovirus VP1: A Multi-Faceted Capsid Protein

人类诺如病毒，通常被称为“冬季呕吐病”，是全球胃肠炎的主要原因，对此没有可用的治疗或预防策略。诺如病毒的爆发通常发生在部分封闭的社区，最明显的是医院病房和护理院，关闭和限制对医疗服务造成了损失。仅在英国，每年诺如病毒爆发导致超过15，000个床位日的损失和超过1亿英镑的经济负担。据估计，诺如病毒感染每年会导致超过20万人死亡，主要是在中低收入国家（LMC）、年轻人和老年人以及免疫系统受损的人群等最脆弱人群中。致病病毒很小，每一个由包封在主要由病毒结构蛋白VP1组成的蛋白质衣壳内的病毒基因组组成。这是病毒复制的关键蛋白。它负责递送病毒基因组以开始感染并产生更多的病毒以在细胞之间和人与人之间传播感染。重要的是，作为病毒衣壳的主要成分，VP1对于产生抗病毒免疫应答很重要，并且是当人被感染时免疫系统经历的第一个病毒成分。这项研究将研究VP1如何在病毒生命周期的不同阶段发挥作用，以启动感染并将感染传播到新细胞。了解这些基本过程将有助于未来疾病控制方法的发展。

Human noroviruses, commonly known as "winter vomiting disease" are a major cause of gastroenteritis worldwide for which there is no treatment or preventative strategies available. Outbreaks of norovirus often occur in partly enclosed communities, most notably hospital wards and care homes where closes and restrictions apply a drain on healthcare services. In the UK alone every year, norovirus outbreaks result in the loss of over 15,000 bed days and a financial burden of over £100 million. Norovirus infection is estimated to result in the loss of over 200,000 lives each year, primarily in the most vulnerable populations such as found in lower and middle income countries (LIMC), the young and elderly and those with a compromised immune system.The disease-causing viruses are small, each one consisting of the viral genome enclosed within a protein capsid comprised mostly of the major viral structural protein VP1. This is a key protein in virus replication. It is responsible for the delivery of the virus genome to start an infection and production of more virus to spread infection both between cells and between people. Importantly, as the major constituent of viral capsids, VP1 is important for generating an anti-viral immune response and is the first viral component the immune system experiences during when a person become infected. This research will study how VP1 functions at different steps of the virus life-cycle to start infection and spread infection to new cells. Understanding these fundamental processes will aid the development of future approaches to disease control.