Defining the role of rabies virus glycoprotein trafficking in virus neurotropism and pathogenesis

More than 90% of fatal rabies cases are caused by rabies virus, the prototypical neurotropic virus. Rabies virus glycoprotein (RABV-G) is the only protein expressed at the surface of rabies virions and it is solely responsible for neuroinvasiveness and extracellular virion transport. Whilst the role of RABV-G in virus entry has been extensively studied, the cellular roles of RABV-G during infection, including its trafficking within infected cells and host protein binding partners that contribute to virus pathogenesis remain less well- characterised.