Fig. 2

Overview of the PEDV replication cycle. PEDV binds pAPN via the spike protein. Penetration and uncoating occur after the S protein-mediated fusion of the viral envelope with the plasma membrane. Following disassembly, the viral genome is released into the cytoplasm and immediately translated to yield replicases ppla and pp1ab. These polyproteins are proteolytically cleaved into 16 nsps comprising the replication and transcription complex (RTC) that first engages in the minus-strand RNA synthesis using genomic RNA. Both full- and sg-length minus strands are produced and used to synthesize full-length genomic RNA and sg mRNAs. Each sg mRNA is translated to yield only the protein encoded by the 5’-most ORF of the sg mRNA. The envelope S, E, and M proteins are inserted in the ER and anchored in the Golgi apparatus. The N protein interacts with newly synthesized genomic RNA to form helical RNP complexes. The progeny virus is assembled by budding of the preformed RNP at the ER-Golgi intermediate compartment (ERGIC) and then released by the exocytosis-like fusion of smooth-walled, virion-containing vesicles with the plasma membrane [22]