Poliovirus is protected from detergents, organic solvents, and acidic conditions by its capsid. .
It is important to understand the genome of the poliovirus to help with research in biomedicine. The mRNA genome of the poliovirus weighs approximately 2,600 kD and takes up 23% of the total weight of the particle. The capsid encloses a positive RNA strand of roughly 7500 nucleotides. The poliovirus weighs 8300kDa, and the mRNA genome part of the virus weighs approximately 2,600 kDa, which is 23% of the total weight of the particle. Because of its RNA, the poliovirus has a high mutation rate, which is advantageous because it allows rapid replication and adaptation to a new environment. All the serotypes of the poliovirus have a 3" end with polyadenylic acid and the 5" end linked to a virus-encoded protein with 22 amino acids called VPg. Genome replication can occur because it contains a cis-acting signal in the first 88 nucleotides. A site that regulates translation called the internal ribosomal entry site (IRES) follows this region. This site is separated from a long open reading frame of the only polypeptide it encodes, the polyprotein, by a 154nt. The polyprotein is 247 kDa and it is highly unstable. The polyprotein undergoes many proteolytic cleavages to make functional structural (VP1-VP4) and nonstructural proteins, which is characteristic of viruses that have positive RNA strands. Following the ORF, there is a 3" non-translated region that forms a double stem-loop structure. Genome replication and virion reproduction takes place in the infected host. .
Poliovirus has three distinct serotypes: P1, P2, and P3 (Virology Book). These serotypes are classified based on how well they are able to make monoclonal antibodies to inactivate the viral infectivity (virology). Within these serotypes, the strains vary in their pathogenicity. These different strains of the poliovirus are highly homologous in their nucleotides and their amino acid sequences, but have different morbidity rates.