title: Rabies virus nucleoprotein is phosphorylated by cellular casein kinase II.
abstract: It has been reported that phosphorylation of rabies virus N plays an important role in the process of viral transcription and replication. Rabies virus N is phosphorylated when expressed alone, indicating that cellular kinase phosphorylates rabies virus N. To identify what cellular kinase phosphorylates rabies virus N, the N was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by metal affinity chromatography. The recombinant N was phosphorylated by BHK cellular extracts and by purified CK-II. In addition, the phosphorylation of the recombinant N in vitro can be blocked by a CK-II inhibitor, heparin. Furthermore, N phosphorylation in the virus-infected cells can be inhibited by a CK-II specific inhibitor, 5,6-dichloro-beta-D-ribofuranosyl benzimidazole. However, PKC did not phosphorylate the recombinant N in vitro; nor did staurosporine, a PKC and other kinase inhibitor, prevent rabies virus N from phosphorylation. Thus, our data demonstrate that cellular CK-II phosphorylates rabies virus N.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
authors.forename: Xianfu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Xiaojun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.forename: Zhen F
authors.initials: ZF
authors.lastname: Fu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D047390:Casein Kinase II; D002460:Cell Line; D006224:Cricetinae; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000201:enzymology; D004004:Dichlororibofuranosylbenzimidazole / Q000494:pharmacology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D006493:Heparin / Q000494:pharmacology; D007700:Kinetics; D009154:Mutation; D019251:Nucleocapsid / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D009698:Nucleoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D009698:Nucleoproteins; C099601:nucleocapsid protein, Rabies virus; D004004:Dichlororibofuranosylbenzimidazole; D006493:Heparin; D047390:Casein Kinase II; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases