Fig 1. Hypothesis: Polyprotein determinants presented during translation direct the enteroviral genome to the site of replication.

For recombination to occur between two genetically distinct PV genomes, these genomes must be in the same replication organelle. (A, B) Viral RNAs, shown in blue and red, are targeted to the replication organelle while being translated and facilitate RNA recombination between the two colocalized genomes. Specific viral polyprotein determinants, indicated by a black arrow, mediate this trafficking while still a part of the polyprotein and in association with the ribosome. (C, D) In a case where one genome with impaired polyprotein synthesis, shown in red, is also infected by a second genome, shown in blue, the genome with impaired polyprotein synthesis cannot be trafficked to the replication organelle, so recombination between the two genomes cannot occur. This figure was created by Efraín E. Rivera-Serrano using BioRender. PV, poliovirus; RO, replication organelle.