Aquareovirus Effects Syncytiogenesis by Using a Novel Member of the FAST Protein Family Translated from a Noncanonical Translation Start Site

• Published in: Journal of Virology
• Main Authors: Racine, Trina, Hurst, Tara, Barry, Chris, Shou, Jingyun, Kibenge, Frederick, Duncan, Roy
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: American Society for Microbiology 2009
• Subjects: Atlantic salmon
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/jvi.00171-09; https://journals.asm.org/doi/pdf/10.1128/JVI.00171-09

ABSTRACT As nonenveloped viruses, the aquareoviruses and orthoreoviruses are unusual in their ability to induce cell-cell fusion and syncytium formation. While an extraordinary family of fusion-associated small transmembrane (FAST) proteins is responsible for orthoreovirus syncytiogenesis, the basis for aquareovirus-induced syncytiogenesis is unknown. We now report that the S7 genome segment of an Atlantic salmon reovirus is polycistronic and uses a noncanonical CUG translation start codon to produce a 22-kDa integral membrane protein responsible for syncytiogenesis. The aquareovirus p22 protein represents a fourth distinct member of the FAST family with a unique repertoire and arrangement of structural motifs.