Biosynthesis of measles virus hemagglutinin in persistently infected cells.

The synthesis of the hemagglutinin (HA) glycoprotein of measles virus was investigated in a persistently infected cell line using a monoclonal anti-HA. The synthesis of the HA protein was shown to be associated with the rough endoplasmic reticulum. The unglycosylated (HA0) apoprotein is synthesized as a 65,000 dalton peptide and is inserted into the rough endoplasmic reticulum as a transmembrane protein with approximately 2 to 3000 daltons of the peptide exposed to the cytoplasmic membrane surface. Primary glycosylation of the HA protein was found to occur through the lipid-linked carrier, dolichol-phosphate, as determined by inhibition of glycosylation by tunicamycin. Glycosylation, however, was not a prerequisite for membrane insertion. Endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H digestion of the fully glycosylated HA protein indicated that both simple and complex oligosaccharides are present on the surface glycoprotein.