Publication highlights

In this research by the Carlton and Bauer groups, the mechanisms by which SARS-CoV-2 Envelope negotiates the cell’s network of intracellular organelles was identified. By carefully placing fluorescent and enzymatic tags into the Envelope protein, the researchers identified viral sequences that allowed Envelope to move from where it is made, the Endoplasmic Reticulum, to the Golgi apparatus, where Envelope assembles with other viral proteins to make a virus particle. The researchers also identified viral sequences and host cell proteins that allowed a pool of Envelope to move from the Golgi to lysosomes, and that the presence of Envelope in lysosomes could deacidify these organelles. SARS-CoV-2 is released through the secretory pathway, and secretory lysosomes represent an atypical secretory route. Both movement of Envelope to lysosomes, and its ability to deacidify lysosomes, contribute to SARS-CoV-2 replication, giving new insight into how host cell networks can influence how the virus replicates.