Differential rates of processing and transport of herpes simplex virus type 1 glycoproteins gB and gC.

The kinetics of processing and transport of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) glycoproteins gB and gC was investigated. The conversion of precursor to mature forms and the appearance of the glycoproteins at the infected-cell surface at different times postinfection (p.i.) were studied. gB, synthesized at 4 h p.i., was converted to the mature form with a half-time (t1/2) of 120 min and appeared at the plasma membrane with a t1/2 of 270 min. The gB synthesized at later times p.i. (6, 8, and 10.5 h) was transported less efficiently. Less than 50% of gB synthesized at later times p.i. was processed and transported to the cell surface. gB synthesized in transfected cells was transported to the plasma membrane with kinetics similar to that for gB synthesized at early times p.i. gC was processed efficiently when synthesized at both 8 and 10.5 h p.i., with t1/2 of conversion of pgC to gC of 40 and 60 min, respectively. Approximately 90 to 95% of the gC synthesized was converted to the mature form. The gC synthesized at 8 h p.i. was also transported rapidly to the cell surface, compared with the transport of gB synthesized at the same time, with a t1/2 of 240 min. Greater than 70% of the gC synthesized at 8 h p.i. appeared at the cell surface. The gC synthesized at 10.5 h was transported less efficiently to the cells surface during a 6-h chase.