Absence of E protein arrests transmissible gastroenteritis coronavirus maturation in the secretory pathway
A recombinant transmissible gastroenteritis coronavirus (rTGEV) in which E gene was deleted (rTGEV-ΔE) has been engineered. This deletion mutant only grows in cells expressing E protein (E+ cells) indicating that E was an essential gene for TGEV replication. Electron microscopy studies of rTGEV-ΔE infected BHK-pAPN-E- cells showed that only immature intracellular virions were assembled. These virions were non-infectious and not secreted to the extracellular medium in BHK-pAPN-E- cells. RNA and protein composition analysis by RNase-gold and immunoelectron microscopy showed that rTGEV-ΔE virions contained RNA and also all the structural TGEV proteins, except the deleted E protein. Nevertheless, full virion maturation was blocked. Studies of the rTGEV-ΔE subcellular localization by confocal and immunoelectron microscopy in infected E- cells showed that in the absence of E protein virus trafficking was arrested in the intermediate compartment. Therefore, the absence of E protein in TGEV resulted in two actions, a blockade of virus trafficking in the membranes of the secretory pathway, and prevention of full virus maturation. © 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | journal article biblioteca |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2007
|
| Subjects: | Coronavirus, Nidovirus, E protein, TGEV, Virus maturation, |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12792/3234 http://hdl.handle.net/10261/294070 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|