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Coronavirus small envelope protein E This family includes E proteins, well conserved among Coronavirus strains. They are small, integral membrane proteins involved in several aspects of the virus' life cycle, such as assembly, budding, envelope formation, and pathogenesis. They act as a viroporin by oligomerizing after insertion in host membranes to create a hydrophilic pore that allows ion transport,. SARS-CoV E protein forms a Ca2+ permeable channel in the endoplasmic reticulum Golgi apparatus intermediate compartment (ERGIC)/Golgi membranes. The E protein ion channel activity alters Ca2+ homeostasis within cells boosting the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, leading to the overproduction of IL-beta. SARS-CoV overstimulates the NF-kappaB inflammatory pathway, triggering p38 MARK activation. |
Jiyao W et al.(2023). "The conserved domain database in 2023.",