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Accelerated induction of apoptosis in insect cells by baculovirus‐expressed SARS‐CoV membrane protein
Author(s) -
Lai Chia-Wei,
Chan Zun-Ren,
Yang Ding-Gang,
Lo Wen-Hsin,
Lai Yiu-Kay,
Chang Margaret Dah-Tsyr,
Hu Yu-Chen
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/j.febslet.2006.06.003
Subject(s) - apoptosis , dna fragmentation , biology , programmed cell death , microbiology and biotechnology , fragmentation (computing) , cell , cell culture , biochemistry , genetics , ecology
It has been shown that severe acute respiratory syndrome‐associated coronavirus (SARS‐CoV) 3a and 7a proteins, but not membrane (M) protein, induce apoptosis in mammalian cells. Upon expression of SARS‐CoV M protein using the baculovirus/insect cell expression system, however, we found that the expressed M protein triggered accelerated apoptosis in insect cells, as characterized by rapid cell death, elevated cytotoxicity, cell shrinkage, nuclear condensation and DNA fragmentation. Conversely, the M protein expressed in mammalian cells did not induce apoptosis. This is the first report describing the induction of apoptosis by SARS‐CoV M protein in animal cells and possible implications are discussed.