title: Role of cellular kinases in the gene expression of nonsegmented negative strand RNA viruses.
abstract: Nonsegmented negative strand RNA viruses package an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase composed of two subunits, a large protein L and a phosphoprotein P, for transcription and replication of their genome RNAs. The RNA polymerase activity resides within the L protein, while the P protein acts as a transcription factor or transactivator of the polymerase. Since P protein is heavily phosphorylated and phosphorylation is known to regulate function of many viral as well as cellular proteins, the role of phosphorylation of P protein in the gene expression of this group of RNA viruses has recently been investigated. Through expression in bacteria the P protein was produced in large quantity in the nonphosphorylated form and involvement of cellular kinase(s) in its phosphorylation was studied. Casein kinase II and/or protein kinase C have been shown to play a critical role in the activation of P protein in transcription. These findings have opened up a new avenue for studying an important regulatory step in virus gene expression that may lead to the development of an effective antiviral agent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Research Institute, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, OH 44195, USA.
authors.forename: B P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: De
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Banerjee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D006801:Humans; D010252:Paramyxoviridae / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics*; D010770:Phosphotransferases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D012209:Rhabdoviridae / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D010770:Phosphotransferases