Cryo-EM study reveals dynamic structure of human norovirus

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20260804/Cryo-EM-study-reveals-dynamic-structure-of-human-norovirus.aspx Human norovirus is the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis worldwide and is estimated to infect 600–700 million people each year. Despite its enormous public health impact, no effective antiviral drugs are currently available. A detailed understanding of the three-dimensional structure of the virus is essential for elucidating its infection mechanism and developing effective therapeutics. However, research on human norovirus has been hampered by the inability to efficiently propagate the virus in cultured cells, making it difficult to obtain sufficient quantities of infectious particles for structural studies. In contrast, studies of murine norovirus, which can readily be propagated in cell culture, have shown that its capsid undergoes conformational changes in response to environmental conditions. Whether human norovirus exhibits similar structural dynamics has remained unknown.