Polyprotein
Polyprotein is a single long polypeptide encoded by a gene that is subsequently cleaved by proteases to form multiple functional proteins. In many RNA viruses, the genome is translated as one or more polyproteins that are processed into structural and nonstructural components essential for replication and virion assembly.
A positive-sense RNA genome typically acts as mRNA, enabling translation of a long polyprotein. Viral proteases,
Examples include picornaviruses such as poliovirus, where a single polyprotein is cleaved into structural (P1) and
Polyproteins allow compact genome organization and coordinated production of many enzymes from a single transcript. Their