title: Nucleotide sequence and molecular genetic analysis of the large subunit of ribonucleotide reductase encoded by vaccinia virus.
abstract: We have mapped the vaccinia virus (VV) gene encoding the large subunit of ribonucleotide reductase (VV M1) within the HindIII I restriction fragment by using an oligonucleotide probe. Nucleotide sequencing revealed a 2340-bp open reading frame (orf), 1-3, whose amino acid sequence is highly homologous to the mouse M1 protein. The 1-3 gene was expressed as an immediate-early gene product, being transcribed in a leftward direction into a 2.7-kb polyadenylated transcript. Hybrid-selected translation of cycloheximide-amplified immediate-early viral RNA demonstrated that this mRNA encoded an 86-kd protein, which agrees with the expected size of the reductase large subunit. The 5'- and 3'-boundaries of the 1-3 transcriptional unit were determined by primer extension and S1-nuclease analysis, respectively, and shown to contain sequence elements typical of other VV early genes. Surprisingly, the predicted amino acid sequence of the VV enzyme subunit shares 72.5% homology with the mouse large subunit, M1.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis 97331-3804.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Tengelsen
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Slabaugh
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Bibler
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Hruby
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D005796:Genes; D005814:Genes, Viral; D051379:Mice / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012264:Ribonucleotide Reductases / Q000235:genetics*; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014616:Vaccinia virus / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D014764:Viral Proteins; D012264:Ribonucleotide Reductases