title: Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) ORF65 virion protein is dispensable for replication in cell culture and is phosphorylated by casein kinase II, but not by the VZV protein kinases.
abstract: The unique short region of varicella zoster virus (VZV) encodes four genes. One of these, ORF65, is predicted to encode an 11-kDa protein. Antibody to ORF65 protein immunoprecipitated a 16-kDa protein from the membrane fraction of VZV-infected cells. ORF65 protein was shown to be phosphorylated by casein kinase II. The VZV ORF47 or ORF66 protein kinases were not required for phosphorylation of ORF65. VZV with a large deletion in ORF65 was constructed and was shown to be dispensable for replication of virus in cell culture. The herpes simplex virus homolog of VZV ORF65 has been reported to be located in the nucleus of infected cells and in virions as a tegument protein, whereas the pseudorabies virus homolog is located in the Golgi apparatus of infected cells and in virions as a type II membrane protein. The ORF65 protein localized to the Golgi apparatus in virus-infected cells and was located in virions, most likely as a type II membrane protein. Thus, VZV ORF65 more closely resembles its pseudorabies virus homolog in its localization in infected cells and virions.
authors.affiliation: Medical Virology Section, Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA. jcohen@niaid.nih.gov
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Srinivas
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lekstrom
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D047390:Casein Kinase II; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D006056:Golgi Apparatus / Q000378:metabolism; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007425:Intracellular Membranes / Q000378:metabolism; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011817:Rabbits; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014771:Virion / Q000378:metabolism; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D008074:Lipoproteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins; D011494:Protein Kinases; C085818:Varicella-Zoster ORF47-associated protein kinase; D047390:Casein Kinase II; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases