title: Characterization of the African swine fever virus structural protein p14.5: a DNA binding protein.
abstract: The gene encoding the structural protein p14.5 of African swine fever virus (ASFV) has been mapped and sequenced. This gene, designated E120R, is located in the Sa/l H/EcoRl E restriction fragment of the ASFV genome and is predicted to encode a protein of 120 amino acids with a molecular weight of 13.4 kDa. Northern-blot analysis showed that E120R is transcribed at late times during the viral replication cycle. The E120R gene product has been expressed in Escherichia coli, purified, and used as an antigen for antibody production. The antiserum anti-pE120R recognized a protein in infected cell extracts with an apparent molecular mass of 14.5 kDa, named p14.5. This antiserum also detected protein p14.5 in purified virus particles. Protein p14.5 is synthesized late in infection and is located in viral factories. Immunoprecipitation analysis and binding-assay experiments have shown that protein p14.5 interacts with a protein that could correspond to the major structural protein p72. Purified protein p14.5 interacts with DNA in a sequence-independent manner. It binds to both single-stranded and double-stranded DNA. A possible role of protein p14.5 in the encapsidation of ASFV DNA is suggested.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Biología Molecular Sevoro Ochoa (CSIC-UAM), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Martinez-Pomares
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Simon-Mateo
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lopez-Otin
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Viñuela
mesh_terms: D000358:African Swine Fever Virus / Q000378:metabolism*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002457:Cell Extracts; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D014709:Vero Cells; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins
chemical_list: C105175:African swine fever virus structural protein p14.5; D002457:Cell Extracts; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012367:RNA, Viral; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins