title: Proteinase-polymerase precursor as the active form of feline calicivirus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase.
abstract: The objective of this study was to identify the active form of the feline calicivirus (FCV) RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP). Multiple active forms of the FCV RdRP were identified. The most active enzyme was the full-length proteinase-polymerase (Pro-Pol) precursor protein, corresponding to amino acids 1072 to 1763 of the FCV polyprotein encoded by open reading frame 1 of the genome. Deletion of 163 amino acids from the amino terminus of Pro-Pol (the Val-1235 amino terminus) caused a threefold reduction in polymerase activity. Deletion of an additional one (the Thr-1236 amino terminus) or two (the Ala-1237 amino terminus) amino acids produced derivatives that were 7- and 175-fold, respectively, less active than Pro-Pol. FCV proteinase-dependent processing of Pro-Pol in the interdomain region preceding Val-1235 was not observed in the presence of a catalytically active proteinase; however, processing within the polymerase domain was observed. Inactivation of proteinase activity by changing the catalytic cysteine-1193 to glycine permitted the production and purification of intact Pro-Pol. Biochemical analysis of Pro-Pol showed that this enzyme has properties expected of a replicative polymerase, suggesting that Pro-Pol is an active form of the FCV RdRP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Huhn
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mory
authors.forename: H B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Pathak
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Sosnovtsev
authors.forename: K Y
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Cameron
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D017927:Calicivirus, Feline / Q000201:enzymology*; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D004792:Enzyme Precursors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D008345:Manganese / Q000494:pharmacology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004792:Enzyme Precursors; D012367:RNA, Viral; D008345:Manganese; D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase; D010450:Endopeptidases