title: The UL49.5 gene of pseudorabies virus codes for an O-glycosylated structural protein of the viral envelope.
abstract: Sequence analysis of BamHI fragment 1 of the pseudorabies virus (PrV) genome identified a novel PrV gene located upstream of the UL50 gene encoding PrV dUTPase. The deduced protein product displayed homology to the product of the herpes simplex virus type 1 UL49.5 protein. The predicted PrV UL49.5 protein consists of 98 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 10,155 Da. It contains putative signal peptide and transmembrane domains but lacks a consensus sequence for N glycosylation. PrV UL49.5 was expressed as a fusion protein with glutathione S-transferase in Escherichia coli, and a rabbit antiserum was generated. In Western blots (immunoblots) of purified virions, the antiserum detected a protein with an apparent molecular mass of 14 kDa. After fractionation of the virions, the 14-kDa protein was detected in the envelope fraction. Localization of the UL49.5 protein in the viral envelope was confirmed by immunoelectron microscopy. The treatment of purified virions with glycosidases led to a reduction of the apparent molecular mass in Western blots by approximately 2 kDa following digestion with neuraminidase and O-glycosidase. Our results demonstrate that the PrV UL49.5 protein is an O-glycosylated structural component of the viral envelope. It represents the 10th PrV glycoprotein described. According to the unified nomenclature for alphaherpesvirus glycoproteins, we propose to designate it glycoprotein N (gN).
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular and Cellular Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institutes, Insel Riems, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jöns
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Granzow
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kuchling
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Mettenleiter
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D005814:Genes, Viral; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D011558:Herpesvirus 1, Suid / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D006023:Glycoproteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C097733:glycoprotein N, Pseudorabies virus