Processing of virus-specific glycoproteins of varicella zoster virus.

Monoclonal antibodies to varicella zoster virus (VZV) glycoproteins were used to study the processing of three glycoproteins with molecular weights of 83K-94K (gp 2), 64K (gp 3), and 55K (gp 5). Immunoprecipitation experiments performed with VZV-infected cells, pulse labeled with [3H]glucosamine in the presence of tunicamycin, suggest that O-linked oligosaccharide is present on the glycoprotein of gp 2. Use of the enzyme endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H revealed that the fully processed form of gp 3 had high-mannose type and that of gp 5 had only complex type of N-linked oligosaccharides. Experiments with monensin suggest that the precursor form (116K) of gp 3 is cleaved during the processing from Golgi apparatus to cell surface membrane. The extension of O-linked oligosaccharide chain and the complex type of N-linked oligosaccharide chains also occurs during this processing.