The p4-p2' amino acids surrounding human norovirus polyprotein cleavage sites define the core sequence regulating self-processing order.

UNLABELLED: Noroviruses (NoV) are members of the family Caliciviridae. The human NoV open reading frame 1 (ORF1) encodes a 200-kDa polyprotein which is cleaved by the viral 20-kDa 3C-like protease (Pro, NS6) into 6 nonstructural proteins that are necessary for viral replication. The NoV ORF1 polyprotein is processed in a specific order, with "early" sites (NS1/2-3 and NS3-4) being cleaved rapidly and three "late" sites (NS4-5, NS5-6, and NS6-7) processed subsequently and less efficiently. Previously, we demonstrated that the NoV polyprotein processing order is directly correlated with the efficiency of the enzyme, which is regulated by the primary amino acid sequences surrounding ORF1 cleavage sites. Using fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) peptides representing the NS2-3 and NS6-7 ORF1 cleavage sites, we now demonstrate that the amino acids spanning positions P4 to P2' (P4-P2') surrounding each site comprise the core sequence controlling NoV protease enzyme efficiency. Furthermore, the NoV polyprotein self-processing order can be altered by interchanging this core sequence between NS2-3 and any of the three late sites in in vitro transcription-translation assays. We also demonstrate that the nature of the side chain at the P3 position for the NS1/2-3 (Nterm/NTPase) site confers significant influence on enzyme catalysis (kcat and kcat/Km), a feature overlooked in previous structural studies. Molecular modeling provides possible explanations for the P3 interactions with NoV protease. IMPORTANCE: Noroviruses (NoV) are the prevailing cause of nonbacterial acute gastroenteritis worldwide and pose a significant financial burden on health care systems. Proteolytic processing of the viral nonstructural polyprotein is required for norovirus replication. Previously, the core sequence of amino acids surrounding the scissile bonds responsible for governing the relative processing order had not been determined. Using both FRET-based peptides and full-length NoV polyprotein, we have successfully demonstrated that the core sequences spanning positions P4-P2' surrounding the NS2-3, NS4-5, NS5-6, and NS6-7 cleavage sites contain all of the structural information necessary to control processing order. We also provide insight into a previously overlooked role for the NS2-3 P3 residue in enzyme efficiency. This article builds upon our previous studies on NoV protease enzymatic activities and polyprotein processing order. Our work provides significant additional insight into understanding viral polyprotein processing and has important implications for improving the design of inhibitors targeting the NoV protease.

Norwalk Virus Minor Capsid Protein VP2 Associates within the VP1 Shell Domain.

The major capsid protein of norovirus VP1 assembles to form an icosahedral viral particle. Despite evidence that the Norwalk virus (NV) minor structural protein VP2 is present in infectious virions, the available crystallographic and electron cryomicroscopy structures of NV have not revealed the location of VP2. In this study, we determined that VP1 associates with VP2 at the interior surface of the capsid, specifically with the shell (S) domain of VP1. We mapped the interaction site to amino acid 52 of VP1, an isoleucine located within a sequence motif IDPWI in the S domain that is highly conserved across norovirus genogroups. Mutation of this isoleucine abrogated VP2 incorporation into virus-like particles without affecting the ability for VP1 to dimerize and form particles. The highly basic nature of VP2 and its location interior to the viral particle are consistent with its potential role in assisting capsid assembly and genome encapsidation.

Characterization and inhibition of norovirus proteases of genogroups I and II using a fluorescence resonance energy transfer assay.

Noroviruses are the major cause of food- or water-borne gastroenteritis outbreaks in humans. The norovirus protease that cleaves a large viral polyprotein to nonstructural proteins is essential for virus replication and an attractive target for antiviral drug development. Noroviruses show high genetic diversity with at least five genogroups, GI-GV, of which GI and GII are responsible for the majority of norovirus infections in humans. We cloned and expressed proteases of Norwalk virus (GI) and MD145 virus (GII) and characterized the enzymatic activities with fluorescence resonance energy transfer substrates. We demonstrated that the GI and GII proteases cleaved the substrates derived from the naturally occurring cleavage site in the open reading frame (ORF) 1 of G1 norovirus with similar efficiency, and that enzymatic activity of both proteases was inhibited by commercial protease inhibitors including chymostatin. The interaction of chymostatin to Norwalk virus protease was validated by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.

Prestress strengthens the shell of Norwalk virus nanoparticles.

We investigated the influence of the protruding domain of Norwalk virus-like particles (NVLP) on its overall structural and mechanical stability. Deletion of the protruding domain yields smooth mutant particles and our AFM nanoindentation measurements show a surprisingly altered indentation response of these particles. Notably, the brittle behavior of the NVLP as compared to the plastic behavior of the mutant reveals that the protruding domain drastically changes the capsid's material properties. We conclude that the protruding domain introduces prestress, thereby increasing the stiffness of the NVLP and effectively stabilizing the viral nanoparticles. Our results exemplify the variety of methods that nature has explored to improve the mechanical properties of viral capsids, which in turn provides new insights for developing rationally designed, self-assembled nanodevices.

Potent inhibition of Norwalk virus by cyclic sulfamide derivatives.

A new class of compounds that exhibit anti-norovirus activity in a cell-based system and embody in their structure a cyclosulfamide scaffold has been identified. The structure of the initial hit (compound 2a, ED(50) 4 µM, TD(50) 50 µM) has been prospected by exploiting multiple points of diversity and generating appropriate structure-activity relationships.

Atomic resolution structural characterization of recognition of histo-blood group antigens by Norwalk virus.

Members of Norovirus, a genus in the family Caliciviridae, are causative agents of epidemic diarrhea in humans. Susceptibility to several noroviruses is linked to human histo-blood type, and its determinant histo-blood group antigens (HBGAs) are regarded as receptors for these viruses. Specificity for these carbohydrates is strain-dependent. Norwalk virus (NV) is the prototype genogroup I norovirus that specifically recognizes A- and H-type HBGA, in contrast to genogroup II noroviruses that exhibit a more diverse HBGA binding pattern. To understand the structural basis for how HBGAs interact with the NV capsid protein, and how the specificity is achieved, we carried out x-ray crystallographic analysis of the capsid protein domain by itself and in complex with A- and H-type HBGA at a resolution of approximately 1.4 A. Despite differences in their carbohydrate sequence and linkage, both HBGAs bind to the same surface-exposed site in the capsid protein and project outward from the capsid surface, substantiating their possible role in initiating cell attachment. Precisely juxtaposed polar side chains that engage the sugar hydroxyls in a cooperative hydrogen bonding and a His/Trp pair involved in a cation-pi interaction contribute to selective and specific recognition of A- and H-type HBGAs. This unique binding epitope, confirmed by mutational analysis, is highly conserved, but only in the genogroup I noroviruses, suggesting that a mechanism by which noroviruses infect broader human populations is by evolving different sites with altered HBGA specificities.

Structural basis for the receptor binding specificity of Norwalk virus.

Noroviruses are positive-sense, single-stranded RNA viruses that cause acute gastroenteritis. They recognize human histo-blood group antigens as receptors in a strain-specific manner. The structures presented here were analyzed in order to elucidate the structural basis for differences in ligand recognition of noroviruses from different genogroups, the prototypic Norwalk virus (NV; GI-1) and VA387 (GII-4), which recognize the same A antigen but differ in that NV is unable to bind to the B antigen. Two forms of the receptor-binding domain of the norovirus coat protein, the P domain and the P polypeptide, that were previously shown to differ in receptor binding and P-particle formation properties were studied. Comparison of the structures of the NV P domain with and without A trisaccharide and the NV P polypeptide revealed no major ligand-induced changes. The 2.3-A cocrystal structure reveals that the A trisaccharide binds to the NV P domain through interactions with the residues Ser377, Asp327, His329, and Ser380 in a mode distinct from that previously reported for the VA387 P-domain-A-trisaccharide complex. Mutational analyses confirm the importance of these residues in NV P-particle binding to native A antigen. The alpha-GalNAc residue unique to the A trisaccharide is buried deeply in the NV binding pocket, unlike in the structures of A and B trisaccharides bound to VA387 P domain, where the alpha-fucose residue forms the most protein contacts. The A-trisaccharide binding mode seen in the NV P domain complex cannot be sterically accommodated in the VA387 P domain.

Transmission events within outbreaks of gastroenteritis determined through analysis of nucleotide sequences of the P2 domain of genogroup II noroviruses.

Tracking the spread of noroviruses during outbreaks of gastroenteritis is hampered by the lack of sequence diversity in those regions of the genome chosen for virus detection and characterization. Sequence analysis of regions of the genes encoding the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and the S domain of the capsid does not provide sufficient discrimination between genotypically related strains of different outbreaks. However, analysis of sequences derived from the region encoding the P2 domain showed 100% similarity among strains from the same outbreak and <100% similarity among strains of different outbreaks. The prolonged nature of some hospital outbreaks, links between hospitals, and the introduction of multiple strains of a single genotype associated with an outbreak aboard a cruise ship were determined using this method. This provides a powerful tool for tracking outbreak strains and the subsequent analysis and validation of interventions in a background of multiple introductions of virus strains of the same genotype or genetic cluster.

A single-amino-acid substitution in the P2 domain of VP1 of murine norovirus is sufficient for escape from antibody neutralization.

Noroviruses cause epidemic outbreaks of acute viral gastroenteritis worldwide, and the number of reported outbreaks is increasing. Human norovirus strains do not grow in cell culture. However, murine norovirus (MNV) replicates in the RAW 264.7 macrophage cell line and thus provides a tractable model to investigate norovirus interactions with host cells. Epitopes recognized by monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against the human norovirus strains Norwalk virus and Snow Mountain virus (SMV) identified regions in the P domain of major capsid protein VP1 important for interactions with putative cellular receptors. To determine if there was a relationship between domains of MNV VP1 and VP1 of human norovirus strains involved in cell binding, epitope mapping by phage display was performed with an MNV-1-neutralizing MAb, A6.2.1. A consensus peptide, GWWEDHGQL, was derived from 20 third-round phage clones. A synthetic peptide containing this sequence and constrained through a disulfide linkage reacted strongly with the A6.2.1 MAb, whereas the linear sequence did not. Four residues in the A6.2.1-selected peptide, G327, G333, Q334, and L335, aligned with amino acid residues in the P2 domain of MNV-1 VP1. This sequence is immediately adjacent to the epitope recognized by anti-SMV MAb 61.21. Neutralization escape mutants selected with MAb A6.2.1 contained a leucine-to-phenylalanine substitution at position 386 in the P2 domain. The predicted location of these residues on VP1 suggests that the phage peptide and the mutation in the neutralization-resistant viruses may be in close proximity to each other and to residues reported to be important for carbohydrate binding to VP1 of human norovirus strains.

Epochal evolution of GGII.4 norovirus capsid proteins from 1995 to 2006.

Noroviruses are the causative agents of the majority of viral gastroenteritis outbreaks in humans. During the past 15 years, noroviruses of genotype GGII.4 have caused four epidemic seasons of viral gastroenteritis, during which four novel variants (termed epidemic variants) emerged and displaced the resident viruses. In order to understand the mechanisms and biological advantages of these epidemic variants, we studied the genetic changes in the capsid proteins of GGII.4 strains over this period. A representative sample was drawn from 574 GGII.4 outbreak strains collected over 15 years of systematic surveillance in The Netherlands, and capsid genes were sequenced for a total of 26 strains. The three-dimensional structure was predicted by homology modeling, using the Norwalk virus (Hu/NoV/GGI.1/Norwalk/1968/US) capsid as a reference. The highly significant preferential accumulation and fixation of mutations (nucleotide and amino acid) in the protruding part of the capsid protein provided strong evidence for the occurrence of genetic drift and selection. Although subsequent new epidemic variants differed by up to 25 amino acid mutations, consistent changes were observed in only five positions. Phylogenetic analyses showed that each variant descended from its chronologic predecessor, with the exception of the 2006b variant, which is more closely related to the 2002 variant than to the 2004 variant. The consistent association between the observed genetic findings and changes in epidemiology leads to the conclusion that population immunity plays a role in the epochal evolution of GGII.4 norovirus strains.

X-ray crystallographic structure of the Norwalk virus protease at 1.5-A resolution.

Norwalk virus (NV), a member of the Caliciviridae family, is the major cause of acute, epidemic, viral gastroenteritis. The NV genome is a positive sense, single-stranded RNA that encodes three open reading frames (ORFs). The first ORF produces a polyprotein that is processed by the viral cysteine protease into six nonstructural proteins. We have determined the structure of the NV protease to 1.5 and 2.2 A from crystals grown in the absence or presence, respectively, of the protease inhibitor AEBSF [4-(2-aminoethyl)-benzenesulfonyl fluoride]. The protease, which crystallizes as a stable dimer, exhibits a two-domain structure similar to those of other viral cysteine proteases with a catalytic triad composed of His 30, Glu 54, and Cys 139. The native structure of the protease reveals strong hydrogen bond interactions between His 30 and Glu 54, in the favorable syn configuration, indicating a role of Glu 54 during proteolysis. Mutation of this residue to Ala abolished the protease activity, in a fluorogenic peptide substrate assay, further substantiating the role of Glu 54 during proteolysis. These observations contrast with the suggestion, from a previous study of another norovirus protease, that this residue may not have a prominent role in proteolysis (K. Nakamura, Y. Someya, T. Kumasaka, G. Ueno, M. Yamamoto, T. Sato, N. Takeda, T. Miyamura, and N. Tanaka, J. Virol. 79:13685-13693, 2005). In the structure from crystals grown in the presence of AEBSF, Glu 54 undergoes a conformational change leading to disruption of the hydrogen bond interactions with His 30. Since AEBSF was not apparent in the electron density map, it is possible that these conformational changes are due to subtle changes in pH caused by its addition during crystallization.

The influence of ionic strength on the interaction of viruses with charged surfaces under environmental conditions.

The influence of ionic strength on the electrostatic interaction of viruses with environmentally relevant surfaces was determined for three viruses, MS2, Q beta, and Norwalk. The virus is modeled as a particle comprised of ionizable amino acid residues in a shell surrounding a spherical RNA core of negative charge, these charges being compensated for by a Coulomb screening due to intercalated ions. A second model of the virus involving surface charges only is included for comparison. Surface potential calculations for each of the viruses show excellent agreement with electrophoretic mobility and zeta potential measurements as a function of pH. The environmental surface is modeled as a homogeneous plane held at constant potential with and without a finite region (patch) of opposite potential. The results indicate that the electrostatic interaction between the virus and the oppositely charged patch is significantly influenced by the conditions of ionic strength, pH and size of the patch. Specifically, at pH 7, the Norwalk virus interacts more strongly with the patch than MS2 (approximately 51 vs approximately 9kT) but at pH 5, the Norwalk-surface interaction is negligible while that of MS2 is approximately 5.9kT. The resulting ramifications for the use of MS2 as a surrogate for Norwalk are discussed.

Two nonoverlapping domains on the Norwalk virus open reading frame 3 (ORF3) protein are involved in the formation of the phosphorylated 35K protein and in ORF3-capsid protein interactions.

Expression of the Norwalk virus open reading frame 3 (ORF3) in Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells yields two major forms, the predicted 23,000-molecular-weight (23K) form and a larger 35K form. The 23K form is able to interact with the ORF2 capsid protein and be incorporated into virus-like particles. In this paper, we provide mass spectrometry evidence that both the 23K and 35K forms are composed only of the ORF3 protein. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and phosphatase treatment showed that the 35K form results solely from phosphorylation and that the 35K band is composed of several different phosphorylated forms with distinct isoelectric points. Furthermore, we analyzed deletion and point mutants of the ORF3 protein. Mutants that lacked the C-terminal 33 amino acids (ORF3(1-179), ORF3(1-152), and ORF3(1-107)) no longer produced the 35K form. An N-terminal truncation mutant (ORF3(51-212)) and a site-directed mutant (ORF3(T201V)) were capable of producing the larger form, which was converted to the smaller form by treatment with protein phosphatase. These data suggest that the region between amino acids 180 and 212 is phosphorylated, and mass spectrometry showed that amino acids Arg196 to Arg211 are not phosphorylated; thus, phosphorylation of the serine-threonine-rich region from Thr181 to Ser193 must be involved in the generation of the 35K form. Studies of the interaction between the ORF2 protein and full-length and mutated ORF3 proteins showed that the full-length ORF3 protein (ORF3(FL)), ORF3(1-179), ORF3(1-152), and ORF3(51-212) interacted with the ORF2 protein, while an ORF3(1-107) protein did not. These results indicate that the region of the ORF3 protein between amino acids 108 and 152 is responsible for interaction with the ORF2 protein.

Substrate specificity of the Norwalk virus 3C-like proteinase.

The Norwalk Virus (NV) is the prototype strain of human caliciviruses that cause epidemic outbreaks of foodborne and waterborne gastroenteritis. These viruses do not grow in cell culture and the mechanisms of virus replication are obscure. The NV genome is a 7.7 kb ssRNA molecule that encodes three open reading frames (ORFs). The first ORF is a 1789 amino acid polyprotein that is processed into nonstructural proteins by a viral protease similar to the picornavirus 3C protease. Primary cleavage sites in the ORF1 polyprotein of two Norwalk-like viruses have been identified as QG dipeptides. We studied primary cleavage sites in the NV polyprotein and residues surrounding the scissile bond that are important in substrate recognition. A series of mutations were made at amino acids occupying positions implicated as important in cleavage site recognition for chymotrypsin-like viral proteases. We determined that effective processing at amino acid 398 to release the N-terminal p48 protein is necessary for proteolytic release of the p41 protein, that the P4 position N-terminal to the scissile bond is important for efficient processing, and that substitution of large hydrophobic residues were tolerated at this position. Finally, we defined the acidic residue of the 3CL(pro) catalytic site.

Recombinant Norwalk virus-like particles administered intranasally to mice induce systemic and mucosal (fecal and vaginal) immune responses.

Recombinant Norwalk virus-like particles (rNV VLPs) were administered to BALB/c mice by the intranasal (i.n.) route to evaluate the induction of mucosal antibody responses. The results were compared to systemic and mucosal responses observed in new and previous studies (J. M. Ball, M. E. Hardy, R. L. Atmar, M. E. Connor, and M. K. Estes, J. Virol. 72:1345-1353, 1998) after oral administration of rNV VLPs. Immunizations were given in the presence or absence of a mucosal adjuvant, mutant Escherichia coli heat-labile toxin LT(R192G). rNV-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) and fecal IgA were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The i.n. delivery of rNV VLPs was more effective than the oral route at inducing serum IgG and fecal IgA responses to low doses of rNV particles. Vaginal responses of female mice given VLPs by the i.n. and oral routes were also examined. All mice that received two immunizations with low doses i.n. (10 or 25 microg) of rNV VLPs and the majority of mice that received two high doses orally (200 microg) in the absence of adjuvant had rNV-specific serum IgG, fecal, and vaginal responses. Additional experiments evaluated whether rNV VLPs can function as a mucosal adjuvant by evaluating the immune responses to two soluble proteins, keyhole limpet hemocyanin and chicken egg albumin. Under the conditions tested, rNV VLPs did not enhance the serum IgG or fecal IgA response to these soluble proteins when coadministered by the i.n. or oral route. Low doses of nonreplicating rNV VLPs are immunogenic when administered i.n. in the absence of adjuvant, and addition of adjuvant enhanced the magnitude and duration of these responses. Recombinant NV VLPs represent a candidate mucosal vaccine for NV infections in humans.

Structural studies on gastroenteritis viruses.

There are many recent advances in our understanding of the structure-function relationships in rotavirus, a major pathogen of infantile gastroenteritis, and Norwalk virus, a causative agent of epidemic gastroenteritis in humans. Rotavirus is a large (1000 A) and complex icosahedral assembly formed by three concentric capsid layers that enclose the viral genome of 11 dsRNA segments. Because of its medical relevance, intriguing structural complexity, and several unique strategies in the morphogenesis and replication, this virus has been the subject of extensive biochemical, genetic and structural studies. Using a combination of electron cryomicroscopy and computer image processing together with atomic resolution X-ray structural information, we have been able to provide not only a better description of the rotavirus architecture, but also a better understanding of the structural basis of various biological functions such as trypsin-enhanced infectivity, virus assembly and the dynamic process of endogenous transcription. In contrast to rotavirus, Norwalk virus has a simple architecture with an icosahedral capsid made of 180 copies of a single protein. We have determined the structure of the Norwalk virus capsid to a resolution of 3.4 A using X-ray crystallographic techniques. These studies have provided valuable information on domain organization in the capsid protein, and residues that may be critical for dimerization, assembly, strain-specificity and antigenicity.

Structural studies of recombinant Norwalk capsids.

Norwalk virus is the major cause of epidemic viral gastroenteritis in humans. Attempts to grow this human virus in laboratory cell lines have been unsuccessful; however, the Norwalk virus capsid protein, when expressed in insect cells infected with a recombinant baculovirus, spontaneously assembles into virus-like particles. The x-ray crystallographic structure of these recombinant Norwalk particles has been determined to 3.4 A, using a 22-A electron cryomicroscopy structure as a phasing model. The recombinant capsids, 380 A in diameter, exhibit a T=3 icosahedral symmetry. The capsid is formed by 90 dimers of the capsid protein, each of which forms an arch-like capsomere. The capsid protein has two distinct domains-a shell (S) and a protruding (P) domain-that are connected by a flexible hinge. Although the S domain has a classical beta-sandwich fold, the structure of the P domain is unlike any other viral protein. One of the subdomains in the P domain formed by the most variable part of the sequence is located at the exterior of the capsid.

X-ray crystallographic structure of the Norwalk virus capsid.

Norwalk virus, a noncultivatable human calicivirus, is the major cause of epidemic gastroenteritis in humans. The first x-ray structure of a calicivirus capsid, which consists of 180 copies of a single protein, has been determined by phase extension from a low-resolution electron microscopy structure. The capsid protein has a protruding (P) domain connected by a flexible hinge to a shell (S) domain that has a classical eight-stranded beta-sandwich motif. The structure of the P domain is unlike that of any other viral protein with a subdomain exhibiting a fold similar to that of the second domain in the eukaryotic translation elongation factor-Tu. This subdomain, located at the exterior of the capsid, has the largest sequence variation among Norwalk-like human caliciviruses and is likely to contain the determinants of strain specificity and cell binding.

Capsid sequence diversity in small round structured viruses from recent UK outbreaks of gastroenteritis.

Genetic typing of small round structured viruses (SRSVs) by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and sequencing has been confined to analysis of the RNA polymerase because of the considerable genome variability outside of this region. To provide capsid sequence data for epidemiological studies and outbreak investigations, a broadly reactive capsid PCR was developed using two sets of degenerate, inosine-containing primers. Primer pairs Capla/Caplb and Caplla/Capllb specifically amplify a 223-bp region of the SRSV capsid open reading frame from SRSV genetic groups I and II, respectively. The capsid PCR was used to investigate SRSVs from nine UK outbreaks of gastroenteritis occurring between 1992 and 1995. Differential amplification by the primer pairs suggested that three strains belonged to genetic group I and six to genetic group II. The capsid amino acid sequences of the group I strains were 75.9% to 79.3% identical with Sot/91/UK (group I), while those of the group II strains were 75.9% to 98.3% identical with Bri/93/UK (group II). Phylogenetic comparison of the capsid region from the outbreak strains and 13 previously characterised SRSVs revealed clusters of strains closely related to Bri/93/UK and Tor/77/C within genetic group II. With the exception of some Bri/93/UK-like strains, there was no correlation between capsid sequence and the geographical origin of SRSVs. UK strains were found with greater than 90% capsid sequence identity to SRSVs from various locations worldwide including Australia (Cam/94/A), Canada (Tor/77/C), Hawaii (Haw/71/US), and Saudi Arabia (DSV395/90/SA) together with group I (B447/92/UK) and group II (Yat/94/UK) strains that were genetically distinct from known SRSV capsids. Three SRSVs very closely related to Bri/93/UK were from recent UK hospital outbreaks. These Bri/93/UK-like strains appear to be prevalent in the UK.

Molecular detection and epidemiology of small round-structured viruses in outbreaks of gastroenteritis in the Netherlands.

To study the epidemiology of small round-structured viruses (SRSV) in the Netherlands, all outbreaks of gastroenteritis that were reported to the Research Laboratory for Infectious Diseases, Department of Virology, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) in 1994 and 1995 were examined using electron microscopy (EM), single-round reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and sequencing. To enable this, a generic SRSV-specific primer pair was developed that could detect 85% of a panel of antigenically diverse SRSV. By EM, SRSV could be detected in 86% and by RT-PCR in 91% of the reported gastroenteritis outbreaks. Partial sequence analysis of the polymerase region of these viruses revealed that two different clusters of viruses were responsible for the majority of the outbreaks. This strongly suggests epidemic spread of SRSV in the Netherlands.