title: Characterization of the NTPase activity of Japanese encephalitis virus NS3 protein.
abstract: Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus NS3 protein and two N-terminally truncated (delta 1-148 and delta 1-323) forms of NS3 were engineered and expressed in E. coli as fusion proteins with a histidine tag at the N terminus. The purified recombinant proteins his-NS3 and his-NS3(delta 1-148) were found to possess NTPase activity which was stimulated by single-stranded RNA, whereas NS3(delta 1-323) did not. The requirements for MgCl2 and MnCl2 and the salt and pH ranges necessary for optimal activity of the enzyme were determined and shown to be slightly different from those of the NTPases of other flaviviruses. Poly(U) and poly(C) were better than poly(A) at stimulating the NTPase activities, in contrast to other flaviviral NTPases. The substrate preference was in the order GTP > ATP >> UTP > CTP. Interestingly, we found that Ca2+ could not substitute for Mg2+; on the contrary, it inhibited NTPase activity. The removal of the N-terminal 148 amino acids enhanced NTPase activity, but further deletion of the region (amino acids 148-323) completely abolished the activity. Therefore, amino acids 148-323 contain a critical region required for NTPase activity.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Preventive Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chin
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Shiao
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D017766:Acid Anhydride Hydrolases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001665:Binding Sites; D004664:Encephalitis Virus, Japanese / Q000201:enzymology*; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D043583:Nucleoside-Triphosphatase; D020365:RNA Helicases; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases; D000085242:Viral Proteases
chemical_list: D017766:Acid Anhydride Hydrolases; D043583:Nucleoside-Triphosphatase; D020365:RNA Helicases; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins; C060028:NS3 protein, flavivirus; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases; D000085242:Viral Proteases