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English: Overview of the rotavirus replication cycle. During entry into the cell, the outermost protein layer of the triple-layered virion is lost. Polymerase complexes in the core of the resultant double-layered particle produce viral mRNAs that are capped but lack poly(A) tails. Viral proteins and RNAs accumulate in protected sites of the cytoplasm called viroplasms where nascent particle assembly takes place. Interaction of newly formed polymerase complexes with the core capsid protein triggers genome replication, which is followed by addition of the intermediate protein layer of the virion. Double-layered particles bud into the endoplasmic reticulum, acquiring their outer capsid. After release through lysis or trafficking, the attachment spike must be cleaved by trypsin-like proteases in the intestinal lumen to activate the virus for subsequent infection.