Rab10 coordinates SADS-CoV non-lytic egress through the ERGIC-TGN-lysosome trafficking pathway.

Swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV) is a bat-originated alphacoronavirus that causes devastating enteric disease in neonatal piglets and possesses significant potential for cross-species transmission. While the early stages of the coronavirus life cycle have been extensively characterized, the host factors indispensable for virion assembly and subsequent export remain largely enigmatic. Here, by performing a genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 knockout screen using a recombinant icSADS-CoV-GFP reporter virus, we identified the small GTPase Rab10 as a critical host dependency factor for SADS-CoV infection. Viral life cycle analysis revealed that Rab10 is not required for viral attachment, entry, or initial genome replication, but is essential for the virion transport and non-lytic egress. Rab10 deficiency markedly reduced the extracellular release of viral RNA, viral proteins, and infectious progeny, as well as the secretion of SADS-CoV virus-like particles. Confocal imaging showed that Rab10 and viral protein-positive intracellular structures were associated with LMAN1, TGN46, and LAMP1 positive compartments. These findings support a model in which Rab10 coordinates a virus-containing vesicles trafficking pathway associated with ERGIC-TGN-lysosome compartments. Mechanistically, Rab10 facilitates the loading of the viral envelope (E) protein into transport vesicles derived from the ERGIC. Rab10 associates with the SADS-CoV E protein, and mapping analyses implicated the C-terminal PDZ-binding motif, particularly residue V75, in efficient Rab10 association and viral release. Collectively, our findings identify Rab10 as a host regulator of SADS-CoV non-lytic egress and highlight the E-Rab10 interaction and the vesicular trafficking machinery as a potential target for developing antiviral strategies.