Cryo-EM structure of the Seneca Valley virus A-particle and related structural states.

Picornavirus cell entry requires a series of capsid protein conformational changes leading to genome uncoating. For enteroviruses, receptor binding triggers the transition from a full (F) capsid to an altered (A) particle before releasing its genome and finally converting it into an empty (E) particle. In contrast, non-enteroviruses, such as Aphthovirus, Cardiovirus, or Seneca Valley virus, release their genomes by dissociating the capsid into pentamers. While the existence of a transient A-particle for non-enteroviruses was previously speculated, it has never been directly observed using structural methods. Seneca Valley virus (SVV) is an oncolytic picornavirus that selectively targets cancer cells by recognizing Tumor endothelial marker 8 (TEM8) as the host receptor. SVV disassembles into pentamers at acidic pH, suggesting that the acidic environment of the endosome could cause capsid disassembly. We used cryo-electron microscopy to investigate SVV under acidic conditions and in complex with TEM8 at physiological pH, identifying multiple uncoating intermediates. These include an altered-particle, an empty-rotated particle (E