Structure and Genome
In common with other picornaviruses, the capsid of BEV is composed of 60 copies of each of four structural proteins, VP1, VP2, VP3 and VP4, in icosahedral symmetry, at about 27 nm in diameter, and enclosing a single stranded positive sense RNA genome of approximately 7,500 base pairs. The capsid is non-enveloped and roughly spherical with an outer radius of 159 Ångström and an inner radius of 107 Ångström. The outer surface of BEV is smoother than the closely related poliovirus due to the truncation of surface protein loops in BEV. It is also smoother than the related human rhinovirus due to the extension of a surface loop in BEV. The three antigenic sites of BEV all occur on a surface ridge at the junction between VP1, VP2 and VP3. BEV has a crater-like depression at the icosahedral 5-fold axis which descends into a cylindrical hole of 10 Ångström in diameter which runs almost to the inner surface of the capsid. A hydrophobic pocket contained within VP1 contains a myristic acid molecule, the removal of which appears to be a pre-requisite for virus uncoating.
Read more about this topic: Bovine Enterovirus, Virology
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