The Rhabdoviridae are enveloped bullet-shaped viruses that are widespread among a great variety of organisms. The rhabdoviruses enter the cell via the endocytic pathway and subsequently fuse with a cellular membrane within the acidic environment of the endosome. Both receptor recognition and membrane fusion are mediated by a single transmembrane (TM) viral glycoprotein (G) that is trimeric and forms the spikes that protrude from the viral surface. This entry represents the lateral domain (domain I) of the glycoprotein which is made up of 8 beta-strands PMID:17289996.