title: Expression of the TM protein of Rous sarcoma virus in the absence of SU shows that this domain is capable of oligomerization and intracellular transport.
abstract: The SU and TM subunits of the Rous sarcoma virus glycoprotein, which are derived from a single polypeptide precursor, have been expressed independently with a simian virus 40 vector. The TM protein retains the ability to form an oligomer which resembles the TM oligomer derived from the wild-type glycoprotein complex present in virions. Oligomerization of the recombinant TM protein is more rapid than that observed for the intact glycoprotein expressed from the simian virus 40 vector and is required for its transport out of the endoplasmic reticulum. Oligomeric TM is terminally glycosylated in the Golgi complex but is less stable than the intact wild-type protein and does not accumulate at the cell surface. The SU protein, in contrast, does not form detectable oligomers but is efficiently secreted into the culture medium. These observations suggest that the oligomerization domain of the Rous sarcoma virus glycoprotein lies in the TM protein and that it can function independently of SU.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham 35294.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Einfeld
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hunter
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001358:Avian Sarcoma Viruses / Q000378:metabolism*; D001692:Biological Transport; D001710:Biotin; D002451:Cell Compartmentation; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000378:metabolism; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006031:Glycosylation; D006056:Golgi Apparatus / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D013539:Simian virus 40 / Q000235:genetics; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D001710:Biotin