Avian oncornaviruses contain a virus coded protease (p15) which processes its own gag protein precursor and the 110 Kd polypeptide of MC29.
We have shown that the replication of avian sarcoma/leukemia oncornaviruses is not entirely dependent on the metabolic functions of the host cell. It is demonstrated that the proteolytic enzyme which processes the precursor protein pr76 to the group specific antigen (gag) proteins, is virally coded and hence functions independently of cellular activities. It is the gag protein p15 and it cleaves its own precursor. This protease is also able to cleave in vitro the polyprotein of 110 kd which is synthesized in cells non-productively infected with the defective leukemia virus MC29 but not cleaved.
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D011498:Protein Precursors; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000201:enzymology*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014779:Virus Replication
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D011498:Protein Precursors; D014764:Viral Proteins