Date of Award
2011
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Microbiology and Immunology
Abstract
Proteolytic cleavage of Coronavirus spike proteins at the appropriate time and location results in efficient virus entry activation. Type II transmembrane serine proteases (TTSPs), specifically, transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) when expressed on target cells, enhance SARS coronavirus entry by activating spike cleavage. This study investigated the effect of TTSPs expressed in Coronavirus producer cells. Murine Hepatitis Virus strain A59 (MHV A59) viruses produced in the absence of TMPRSS2 required target cell protease activity - either cell surface serine proteases or endosomal acidophilic proteases - for entry. MHV A59 viruses produced in the presence of TMPRSS2 were less infectious overall, but a portion of the viruses contained "pre-primed" Spikes and were activated for entry in the absence of target cell protease activity. These findings indicate that coronaviruses can be proteolytically activated either in virus-producing cells or target cells and the timing of spike cleavage is crucial to virus infectivity.
Recommended Citation
Subramanya, Gitanjali Cuckemane, "Role of Type II Transmembrane Serine Proteases in Coronavirus Production" (2011). Master's Theses. 574.
https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_theses/574
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Copyright Statement
Copyright © 2011 Gitanjali Cuckemane Subramanya
