Characterization of a small, nonstructural viral polypeptide present late during infection of BHK cells by Semliki Forest virus.

BHK cells, late in infection with Semliki Forest virus, were found to contain a small virus-specific polypeptide not found in the mature virion. This polypeptide had an apparent molecular weight of 6,000 and is referred to here as the 6K protein. No [2-3H]mannose was incorporated into 6K, and hence it does not appear to be a glycoprotein. This protein appears to be a primary translation product of the subgenomic 26S mRNA, which encodes the viral structural proteins. The genes encoding the viral structural proteins are arranged on the message in the order of 5'-C-E3-E2-E1-3'. We have found that the gene coding for 6K is located to the 3' side of the gene encoding E2. Subcellular fractionation of pulse-labeled cells infected with Semliki Forest virus demonstrated that 6K, like the viral glycoproteins p62 and E1, was present predominantly in the rough microsomal membrane fraction. 6K appears to be analogous, therefore, to the nonstructural 4.2K protein present in cells infected with Sindbis virus.