STEPWISE DISMANTLING OF ADENOVIRUS-2 DURING ENTRY INTO CELLS

Adenoviruses enter their host cells by receptor-mediated endocytosis a nd acid-activated penetration from endosomes into the cytosol and deli ver their DNA genome into the nucleus. Our results show that incoming adenovirus type 2 particles undergo a stepwise disassembly program nec essary to allow progress of the virus in the entry pathway and release of the genome into the nucleus. The fibers are released, the penton b ase structures dissociated, the proteins connecting the DNA to the ins ide surface of the capsid degraded or shed, and the capsid-stabilizing minor proteins eliminated. The uncoating process starts immediately u pon endocytic uptake with the loss of fibers and ends with the uptake of dissociated hexon proteins and DNA into the nucleus.