Different membrane anchors allow the Semliki Forest virus spike subunit E2 to reach the cell surface

The Semliki Forest virus spike subunit E2, a membrane-spanning protein, was transported to the plasma membrane in BHK cells after its carboxy terminus, including the intramembranous and cytoplasmic portions, was replaced by respective fragments of either the vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein or the fowl plague virus hemagglutinin. The hybrid proteins were constructed by cDNA fusion. Upon a transient expression they could be localized at the cell surface by immunofluorescence with specific antibodies directed against any of the protein fragments.