Reversible transport defects of virus membrane glycoproteins in Sindbis virus mutant infected cells

Surface immunofluorescence with anti-envelope serum was used to study the transport of virus membrane glycoproteins in cells infected with temperature-sensitive mutants of Sindbis virus. Mutants belonging to complementation group D (ts-10 and ts-23), which have a defect in the envelope protein E1, showed a temperature dependent defect in the transport of the virus glycoproteins to the cell surface. In contrast, cells infected with mutant ts-20, the only representative of complementation group E, with a defect in the pE2 protein, showed reduced surface fluorescence at the restrictive temperature.