Impact of host proteases on reovirus infection in the respiratory tract

Virion uncoating is an essential early event in reovirus infection. In natural enteric infections, rapid proteolytic uncoating of virions is mediated by pancreatic serine proteases. The proteases that promote reovirus disassembly and cell entry in the respiratory tract remain unknown. In this report, we show that endogenous respiratory and inflammatory proteases can promote reovirus infection in vitro and that preexisting inflammation augments in vivo infection in the murine respiratory tract.