The minor capsid protein VP1 of the autonomous parvovirus minute virus of mice is dispensable for encapsidation of progeny single-stranded DNA but is required for infectivity.
The two capsid proteins of minute virus of mice, VP1 and VP2, are generated from a single large open reading frame by alternate splicing of the capsid gene mRNA. Examination of the replication of a series of mutants that express only VP1, only VP2, or neither capsid protein demonstrates that VP2 is necessary for the accumulation and encapsidation of virus progeny single-stranded DNA. VP1 is dispensable for these functions but is required to produce an infectious virion. Virus that lacks VP1 binds to cells as efficiently as wild-type minute virus of mice but fails to initiate a productive infection. Because neither capsid protein is required for viral-DNA replication, these results suggest that virus lacking VP1 is blocked at a step during virus entry, subsequent to cell binding and prior to the initiation of DNA replication.
Tullis
G E
GE
Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri--Columbia 65212.
Burger
L R
LR
Pintel
D J
DJ
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D002213:Capsid / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D036022:Capsid Proteins; D002460:Cell Line; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded / Q000378:metabolism; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000378:metabolism; D008915:Minute Virus of Mice / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D014771:Virion / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014774:Virulence; D014779:Virus Replication
D036022:Capsid Proteins; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded; D004279:DNA, Viral; C442549:VP1 protein, Mice minute virus