title: Adenovirus type 2 precursor proteins are cleaved by proteinases of other adenoviruses.
abstract: A virus-encoded endoproteinase is responsible for the cleavage of adenovirus type 2 (Ad2) precursor proteins. By analyzing the genetic maps of previously characterized interserotypic recombinants between Ad2 and Ad5 and by means of an in vitro proteinase assay using Ad1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 as the source of enzyme, it was demonstrated that (i) the enzyme was present in these serotypes and by extension it is likely to be present in all adenoviruses, and (ii) that proteolytic cleavage can take place efficiently even between widely different serotypes. These attributes suggest a high degree of sequence conservation of the enzyme and substrate cleavage sites, thus designating proteolytic processing as an excellent target for chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Houde
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Weber
mesh_terms: D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000201:enzymology*; D000260:Adenoviruses, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D013045:Species Specificity; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D011498:Protein Precursors; D014764:Viral Proteins; D010450:Endopeptidases