Inhibition of Sindbis virus maturation after treatment of infected cells with trypsin.

Brief treatment of Sindbis virus-infected BHK-21 or Vero cells with low concentrations of trypsin irreversibly blocked further production of progeny virions after removal of the enzyme. The inhibitory effects of the trypsin treatment could only be demonstrated in cells in which virus infection was established; optimal inhibition occurred at ca. 3 h postinfection. Production of virus structural proteins PE2, E1, and C occurred at normal levels in inhibited cells. PE2 and E1 were also transported to the cell plasma membrane during inhibition; however, PE2 was not cleaved to E2, and little capsid protein became membrane associated relative to control cells. Although trypsin treatment had no effect on Sindbis protein synthesis, the production of both 26S and 42S RNA was greatly reduced. Similar trypsin treatment of BHK cells infected with vesicular stomatitis virus had no detectable effect on the course of virus infection.