SARS-CoV-2 Harnesses Host Translational Shutoff and Autophagy To Optimize Virus Yields: the Role of the Envelope (E) Protein

The SARS-CoV-2 virion is composed of four structural proteins: spike (S), nucleocapsid (N), membrane (M), and envelope (E). E spans the membrane a single time and is the smallest, yet most enigmatic of the structural proteins. E is conserved among coronaviruses and has an essential role in virus-mediated pathogenesis. We found that ectopic expression of E had deleterious effects on the host cell as it activated stress responses, leading to LC3 lipidation and phosphorylation of the translation initiation factor eIF2α that resulted in host translational shutoff. During infection E is highly expressed, although only a small fraction is incorporated into virions, suggesting that E activity is regulated and harnessed by the virus to its benefit. Consistently, we found that proteins from heterologous viruses, such as the γ(1) 34.5 protein of herpes simplex virus 1, prevented deleterious effects of E on the host cell and allowed for E protein accumulation. This observation prompted us to investigate whether other SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins regulate E. We found that the N and M proteins enabled E protein accumulation, whereas S did not. While γ(1) 34.5 protein prevented deleterious effects of E on the host cells, it had a negative effect on SARS-CoV-2 replication. The negative effect of γ(1) 34.5 was most likely associated with failure of SARS-CoV-2 to divert the translational machinery and with deregulation of autophagy. Overall, our data suggest that SARS-CoV-2 causes stress responses and subjugates these pathways, including host protein synthesis (phosphorylated eIF2α) and autophagy, to support optimal virus replication. IMPORTANCE In late 2019, a new β-coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, entered the human population causing a pandemic that has resulted in over 6 million deaths worldwide. Although closely related to SARS-CoV, the mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis are not fully understood. We found that ectopic expression of the SARS-CoV-2 E protein had detrimental effects on the host cell, causing metabolic alterations, including shutoff of protein synthesis and mobilization of cellular resources through autophagy activation. Coexpression of E with viral proteins known to subvert host antiviral responses such as autophagy and translational inhibition, either from SARS-CoV-2 or from heterologous viruses, increased cell survival and E protein accumulation. However, such factors were found to negatively impact SARS-CoV-2 infection, as autophagy contributes to formation of viral membrane factories and translational control offers an advantage for viral gene expression. Overall, SARS-CoV-2 has evolved mechanisms to harness host functions that are essential for virus replication.