The oligomerization domain of VP3, the scaffolding protein of infectious bursal disease virus, plays a critical role in capsid assembly.
Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) capsids are formed by a single protein layer containing three polypeptides, pVP2, VP2, and VP3. Here, we show that the VP3 protein synthesized in insect cells, either after expression of the complete polyprotein or from a VP3 gene construct, is proteolytically degraded, leading to the accumulation of product lacking the 13 C-terminal residues. This finding led to identification of the VP3 oligomerization domain within a 24-amino-acid stretch near the C-terminal end of the polypeptide, partially overlapping the VP1 binding domain. Inactivation of the VP3 oligomerization domain, by either proteolysis or deletion of the polyprotein gene, abolishes viruslike particle formation. Formation of VP3-VP1 complexes in cells infected with a dual recombinant baculovirus simultaneously expressing the polyprotein and VP1 prevented VP3 proteolysis and led to efficient virus-like particle formation in insect cells.
Department of Biología Molecular y Celular, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
Antonio
A
Maraver
Ana
A
Oña
Fernando
F
Abaitua
Dolores
D
González
Roberto
R
Clemente
Jose A
JA
Ruiz-Díaz
Jose R
JR
Castón
Florencio
F
Pazos
Jose F
JF
Rodriguez
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002213:Capsid / Q000378:metabolism*; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019281:Dimerization; D017353:Gene Deletion; D007243:Infectious bursal disease virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018411:Spodoptera / Q000821:virology; D020798:Two-Hybrid System Techniques; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D019065:Virus Assembly
D036022:Capsid Proteins; C107669:VP1 protein, infectious bursal disease virus; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins