Structural analysis of virion proteins of the avian coronavirus infectious bronchitis virus

We have found six major polypeptides in virions of the avian coronavirus infectious bronchitis virus grown in tissue culture: four glycoproteins, GP84, GP36, GP31, and GP28, and two non-glycosylated proteins, P51 and P23. In addition, we detected three minor species: two glycoproteins, GP90 and GP59, and one non-glycosylated protein, P14. Two-dimensional tryptic peptide mapping showed that GP36, GP31, GP28, and P23 comprise a group of closely related proteins which we have designated the "P23 family," but that the other proteins are distinct. Analysis by partial proteolytic digestion of P23 family, but that the other proteins are distinct. Analysis by partial proteolytic digestion of the P23 family labeled biosynthetically with [35S] methionine, and P23, labeled with [35S] formyl-methionine by in vitro translation of RNA from infected cells, revealed that the proteins of the P23 family differ in their amino-terminal domains. Similar analysis of GP31 and Gp36 labeled with [3H] mannose showed that the partial proteolytic fragments unique to these proteins were glycosylated. This suggests that differences in glycosylation in the amino-terminal domains contributes to the marked polymorphism os the P23 family. The results are discussed with respect to possible models for synthesis of the virion proteins.