The life cycle of SARS coronavirus in Vero E6 cells.
The aim of the study was to establish the life cycle of severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS CoV) in host cells and determine the pathogenesis of SARS. Vero E6 cells (African green monkey kidney cells) were inoculated with SARS coronavirus for 3, 7, 24, 48, and 72 hr, respectively, and were observed under electron microscope. It was found that the SARS coronavirus entered the cells through membrane fusion instead of endocytosis, and then the nucleocapsids assembled in the RER and matured by budding into the smooth vesicles, which were derived from the Golgi apparatus. The smooth vesicles fused with the cell membrane, and the mature particles were released. A special phenomenon was that some virus-like particles appeared in the nucleus. We propose a scheme of the life cycle of SARS coronavirus and discuss the mechanism of its replication in Vero E6 cells.
Qinfen
Zhang
Z
State Key Lab for Biocontrol, Zhongshan University, Guangzhou, China.
Jinming
Cui
C
Xiaojun
Huang
H
Huanying
Zheng
Z
Jicheng
Huang
H
Ling
Fang
F
Kunpeng
Li
L
Jingqiang
Zhang
Z
D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000821:virology; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000821:virology; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D022162:Cytoplasmic Vesicles / Q000821:virology; D018870:Endoplasmic Reticulum, Rough / Q000821:virology; D006056:Golgi Apparatus / Q000821:virology; D008561:Membrane Fusion; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014709:Vero Cells; D019065:Virus Assembly; D014779:Virus Replication