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Equine arteritis virus (EAV) is an enveloped, positive-stranded RNA virus belonging to the family Arteriviridae of the order Nidovirales . Four envelope proteins have hitherto been identified in EAV particles: the predominant membrane proteins M and G L , the unglycosylated small envelope protein E, and the nonabundant membrane glycoprotein G S . In this study, we established that the products of EAV open reading frame 3 (ORF3) and ORF4 (designated GP 3 and GP 4 , respectively) are also minor structural glycoproteins. The proteins were first characterized by various analyses after in vitro translation of RNA transcripts in a rabbit reticulocyte lysate in the presence and absence of microsomal membranes. We subsequently expressed ORF3 and -4 in baby hamster kidney cells by using the vaccinia virus expression system and, finally, analyzed the GP 3 and GP 4 proteins synthesized in EAV-infected cells. The results showed that GP 4 is a class I integral membrane protein of 28 kDa with three functional N-glycosylation sites and with little, if any, of its carboxy terminus exposed. Both after independent expression and in EAV-infected cells, the protein localizes in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), as demonstrated biochemically by analysis of its oligosaccharide side chains and as visualized directly by immunofluorescence studies. GP 3 , on the other hand, is a heavily glycosylated protein whose hydrophobic amino terminus is not cleaved off. It is an integral membrane protein anchored by either or both of its hydrophobic terminal domains and with no parts detectably exposed cytoplasmically. Also, GP 3 localizes in the ER when expressed independently and in the context of an EAV infection. Only a small fraction of the GP 3 and GP 4 proteins synthesized in infected cells ends up in virions. Most, but not all, of the oligosaccharides of these virion glycoproteins are biochemically mature. Our results bring the number of EAV envelope proteins to six.

Coronaviruses are assembled by budding into a pre-Golgi compartment from which they are transported along the secretory pathway to leave the cell. In cultured epithelial cells, they are released in a polarized fashion; depending on the virus and cell type, they are sorted preferentially either to the apical domain or to the basolateral plasma membrane domain. In this study, we investigated the role of the coronavirus spike protein, because of its prominent position in the virion the prime sorting candidate, in the directionality of virus release. Three independent approaches were taken. (i) The inhibition of N glycosylation by tunicamycin resulted in the synthesis of spikeless virions. The absence of spikes, however, did not influence the polarity in the release of virions. Thus, murine hepatitis virus strain A59 (MHV-A59) was still secreted from the basolateral membranes of mTAL and LMR cells and from the apical sides of MDCK MHVR cells, whereas transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) was still released from the apical surfaces of LMR cells. (ii) Spikeless virions were also studied by using the MHV-A59 temperature-sensitive mutant Albany 18. When these virions were produced in infected LMR and MDCK MHVR cells at the nonpermissive temperature, they were again preferentially released from basolateral and apical membranes, respectively. (iii) We recently demonstrated that coronavirus-like particles resembling normal virions were assembled and released when the envelope proteins M and E were coexpressed in cells (H. Vennema, G.-J. Godeke, J. W. A. Rossen, W. F. Voorhout, M. C. Horzinek, D.-J. E. Opstelten, and P. J. M. Rottier, EMBO J. 15:2020–2028, 1996). The spikeless particles produced in mTAL cells by using recombinant Semliki Forest viruses to express these two genes of MHV-A59 were specifically released from basolateral membranes, i.e., with the same polarity as that of wild-type MHV-A59. Our results thus consistently demonstrate that the spike protein is not involved in the directional sorting of coronaviruses in epithelial cells. In addition, our observations with tunicamycin show that contrary to the results with some secretory proteins, the N-linked oligosaccharides present on the viral M proteins of coronaviruses such as TGEV also play no role in viral sorting. The implications of these conclusions are discussed.

In a coimmunoprecipitation assay with monospecific antisera, the two major envelope proteins GL and M of equine arteritis virus were found to occur in heteromeric complexes in virions and infected cells. While the GL protein associated with M rapidly and efficiently, newly synthesized M protein was incorporated into complexes at a slower rate, which implies that it interacts with GL molecules synthesized earlier. Analysis under nonreducing conditions revealed that the GL/M complexes consist of disulfide-linked heterodimeric structures. Pulse-chase experiments showed that virtually all GL monomers ended up in heterodimers, whereas a fraction of the M protein persisted as monomers. The M protein also formed covalently linked homodimers, but only the heterodimers were incorporated into virus particles.

The small membrane glycoprotein (GS) of equine arteritis virus (EAV) is a minor virion component but is abundantly expressed in EAV-infected cells. In this study, we have analyzed its membrane topology, folding, oligomerization, and intracellular transport. We show that GS is a class I integral membrane protein with one functional N-glycosylation site. Gel electrophoresis under nonreducing conditions revealed that GS occurs in EAV-infected cells in four monomeric conformations and as disulfide-linked homodimers. The slowest-migrating monomeric form corresponded to the fully reduced GS protein; the three faster-migrating monomeric species are probably generated by the formation of alternative intrachain disulfide bonds between the three luminal cysteines in the molecule. The GS monomers were selectively retained in the endoplasmic reticulum, as judged by their permanent susceptibility to endoglycosidase H, whereas the GS dimers were specifically incorporated into virus particles and became endoglycosidase H resistant and sialylated during passage through the Golgi apparatus.

The M and S envelope glycoproteins of mouse hepatitis virus associate in the process of virus assembly. We have studied the intrinsic properties of M/S heterocomplexes by coexpressing M and S in the absence of other coronaviral proteins. The formation of M/S complexes under these conditions indicates that M and S can interact independently of other coronaviral factors. Pulse-chase analysis revealed that M and S associate in a pre-Golgi compartment. M/S complexes are efficiently transported beyond the coronavirus budding compartment to the Golgi complex. The failure to detect complexes at the surface of coexpressing cells demonstrated that they are retained intracellularly. Thus, coexpression of the envelope glycoproteins drastically affects the intracellular transport of the S protein: instead of being transported to the cell surface, S is retained intracellularly by its association with M.

Coronaviruses are assembled by budding into smooth membranes of the intermediate ER-to-Golgi compartment. We have studied the association of the viral membrane glycoproteins M and S in the formation of the virion envelope. Using coimmunoprecipitation analysis we demonstrated that the M and S proteins of mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) interact specifically forming heteromultimeric complexes in infected cells. These could be detected only when the detergents used for their solubilization from cells or virions were carefully chosen: a combination of nonionic (NP-40) and ionic (deoxycholic acid) detergents proved to be optimal. Pulse-chase experiments revealed that newly made M and S proteins engaged in complex formation with different kinetics. Whereas the M protein appeared in complexes immediately after its synthesis, newly synthesized S protein did so only after a lag phase of > 20 min. Newly made M was incorporated into virus particles faster than S, which suggests that it associates with preexisting S molecules. Using the vaccinia virus T7-driven coexpression of M and S we also demonstrate formation of M/S complexes in the absence of other coronaviral proteins. Pulse-chase labelings and coimmunoprecipitation analyses revealed that M and S associate in pre-Golgi membranes because the unglycosylated form of M appeared in M/S complexes rapidly. Since no association of M and S was detected when protein export from the ER was blocked by brefeldin A, stable complexes most likely arise in the ER-to-Golgi intermediate compartment. Sucrose velocity gradient analysis showed the M/S complexes to be heterogeneous and of higher order, suggesting that they are maintained by homo- and heterotypic interactions. M/S complexes colocalized with alpha-mannosidase II, a resident Golgi protein. They acquired Golgi-specific oligosaccharide modifications but were not detected at the cell surface. Thus, the S protein, which on itself was transported to the plasma membrane, was retained in the Golgi complex by its association with the M protein. Because coronaviruses bud at pre-Golgi membranes, this result implies that the envelope glycoprotein complexes do not determine the site of budding. Yet, the self-association of the MHV envelope glycoproteins into higher order complexes is indicative of its role in the sorting of the viral membrane proteins and in driving the formation of the viral lipoprotein coat in virus assembly.