The Norovirus NS3 Protein Is a Dynamic Lipid- and Microtubule-Associated Protein Involved in Viral RNA Replication.

Unlabelled: Norovirus (NoV) infections are a significant health burden to society, yet the lack of reliable tissue culture systems has hampered the development of appropriate antiviral therapies. Here we show that the NoV NS3 protein, derived from murine NoV (MNV), is intimately associated with the MNV replication complex and the viral replication intermediate double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). We observed that when expressed individually, MNV NS3 and NS3 encoded by human Norwalk virus (NV) induced the formation of distinct vesicle-like structures that did not colocalize with any particular protein markers to cellular organelles but localized to cellular membranes, in particular those with a high cholesterol content.

Norovirus Infection: Replication, Manipulation of Host, and Interaction with the Host Immune Response.

Noroviruses (NoVs) belong to the Caliciviridae family of viruses and are responsible for causing the majority of gastroenteritis outbreaks worldwide. In the past decade, research on NoV biology has intensified because of the discovery of murine NoV and subsequently the first cell culture system and small animal model for NoV replication and pathogenesis. In this review, we discuss the current literature on NoV biology, focusing particularly on NoV replication and the interaction between NoV and the host immune response.