title: Presence of a truncated form of the Sendai virus P protein in a long-term persistent infection: implications for the maintenance of the persistent state.
abstract: In this report we have monitored viral gene expression, both at the RNA and protein level, after the establishment of a long-term persistent infection of Sendai virus. The persistent infection was initially established by infecting BHK cells with a viral stock containing a short (1.4 kb) copy-back DI (DIH4). After over 120 weeks in culture this short copy-back DI had been replaced by two large deletion DIs (approximately 7 and 12 kb) from which was expressed an N-terminally truncated form of the P protein. The mRNA for this protein was detected in cells and the deletion within the P gene was mapped by PCR cloning and sequencing of intracellular nucleocapsid RNA. This truncated P protein (derived by deleting the N-terminal half of the cloned Pwt gene) has already been shown to function as a dominant negative for DI replication when driven by cloned viral genes. Cloning and expression of the truncated P from the long-term persistent infection revealed that this protein had retained the dominant negative phenotype. The presence of such a protein would severely depress viral gene expression and may therefore play an important role in the maintenance of persistence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Microbiology, University of Geneva Medical School, Switzerland.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Garcin
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Melo
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Roux
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kolakofsky
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Curran
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D006224:Cricetinae; D003673:Defective Viruses / Q000502:physiology*; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D005799:Genes, Dominant; D005814:Genes, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010222:Parainfluenza Virus 1, Human / Q000502:physiology*; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: C055859:P protein, Sendai virus; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014764:Viral Proteins