Nonstructural proteins of Semliki Forest virus: synthesis, processing, and stability in infected cells

The synthesis of the nonstructural (ns) proteins of Semliki Forest virus was studied in vivo. The fourth ns protein, ns60, was identified and isolated. The order of translation (NH2-ns70-ns86-ns60-ns72-COOH) was determined by using various labeling procedures after or in the presence of a hypertonic block of translation initiation. A sequential labeling procedure was devised to specifically label defined segments of the polyprotein. The specific labeling procedures allowed isolation of the four ns proteins in radiochemically pure form by gradient polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. The four ns proteins were shown to have different primary structures by digestion with V8 protease of Staphylococcus aureus. The processing of the ns polyprotein and the stability of the mature ns proteins were studied by pulse-chase experiments. The cleavage of each of the proteins from the polyprotein took place within 2 to 3 min after the translation of the polypeptide chain. The N-terminal protein, ns70, appeared in its mature form later than ns86, which follows it in the polyprotein, suggesting that ns70 undergoes a post-translational modification. The migration of the C-terminal protein, ns72, immediately after a pulse was slightly faster than after a chase, suggesting that ns72 also undergoes a post-translational modification other than a cleavage. The half-life of ns72 was shorter than that of the other ns proteins.