title: Intracellular behavior of rabies virus matrix protein (M) is determined by the viral glycoprotein (G).
abstract: To investigate the nature and intracellular behavior of the matrix (M) protein of an avirulent strain (HEP-Flury) of rabies virus, we cloned and sequenced the cDNA of the protein. Using expression vectors pZIP-NeoSV(X)1 and pCDM8, the cDNA was transfected to animal cells (BHK-21 and COS-7) with or without coexpression of viral glycoprotein (G). When M protein alone was expressed in the cells, it displayed homogeneous distribution in the whole cell including the nucleus. In contrast, coexpression with G protein resulted in the abolishment of nuclear distribution of M antigen, and both of the antigens displayed a colocalized distribution in the cell, especially at the cellular membrane as seen in the virus-infected cells, while the distribution of G antigen was not affected by coexpressed M antigen. Immunoprecipitation studies revealed that M protein was coprecipitated with G protein by anti-G antibody, and vice versa, although cross-linking with dithiobis(succinimidyl propionate) was necessary for coprecipitation because of their easier dissociation in the presence of sodium deoxycholate. These results suggest that M protein intimately associates with G protein, which may affect or regulate the behavior (e.g., intracellular localization) of M protein. Studies with deletion mutants of M protein indicate that an internal region around the amino acids from 115 to 151 is essential for the M protein to preserve its binding ability to G protein.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Microbiology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakahara
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohnuma
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sugita
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yasuoka
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakahara
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Tochikura
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kawai
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D011820:Rabies virus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D014162:Transfection; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D006023:Glycoproteins; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins; C064951:glycoprotein G, Rabies virus