Rotaviruses Stick to Sugars

Rotaviruses attack cells of the gut and are the leading cause of severe diarrhea in young children. The virus in animal cells can be treated with a protein called sialidase, which cuts sialic acids -- a specific group of sugar molecules -- from the cell surface. Unsuccessful attempts to treat other rotaviruses with this protein resulted in the rotaviruses being grouped into two classes of 'sialidase-sensitive' and 'sialidase-insensitive' strains.

Mark von Itzstein and colleagues use nuclear magnetic resonance and cellular assays to demonstrate that a 'sialidase-insensitive' virus strain, Wa, does recognize sialic acids and in fact this interaction increases its ability to infect the host cell. The research demands a rethinking of how rotaviruses work and may point to new treatments for the infection.

Author contact:

Mark von Itzstein (Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia)
E-mail: m.vonitzstein@griffith.edu.au

Abstract available online.

Message posted by: Trevor M. D'Souza