Molecular dissection of the assembly and morphogenesis processes of corona virus- the essential roles of the viral envelope protein.

To promote viral entry, replication, release and spread to neighboring cells, many cytolytic animal viruses encode proteins responsible for modification of host cell membrane permeability and for formation of ion channels in host cell membranes during their life cycles. In this study, we show that t...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Liu, Ding Xiang.
Other Authors: Liu Ding Xiang
Format: Research Report
Published: 2008
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10356/6561
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Institution: Nanyang Technological University
Description
Summary:To promote viral entry, replication, release and spread to neighboring cells, many cytolytic animal viruses encode proteins responsible for modification of host cell membrane permeability and for formation of ion channels in host cell membranes during their life cycles. In this study, we show that the envelope (E) protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) can induce membrane permeability changes when expressed in E. coli. E protein expressed in bacterial and mammalian cells under reducing conditions existed as monomers, but formed homodimer and homotrimer under non-reducing conditions. Site-directed mutagenesis studies revealed that two cysteine residues of the E protein were essential for oligomerization, leading to induction of membrane permeability. This is the first report demonstrating that a coronavirus-encoded protein could modify membrane permeability.