|
Background
|
Outer capsid protein involved in attachment and possibly entry into the host epithelial cell. It is subsequently lost, together with VP4, following virus entry into the host cell. The outer layer contains 780 copies of VP7, grouped as 260 trimers. Rotavirus attachment and entry into the host cell probably involves multiple sequential contacts between the outer capsid proteins VP4 and VP7, and the cell receptors. In integrin-dependent strains, VP7 seems to essentially target the integrin heterodimers ITGAX/ITGB2 and ITGA5/ITGB3 at a postbinding stage, once the initial attachment by VP4 has been achieved (By similarity).
|
