title: Long-lived signal peptide of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus glycoprotein pGP-C.
abstract: Signal peptides (SPs) direct nascent secretory and membrane proteins to the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum. They are usually cleaved from the nascent polypeptide by signal peptidase and then further proteolytically processed. The SP of the pre-glycoprotein (pGP-C) of the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus SPGP-C (signal peptide of pGP-C) shows different properties: 1) The SPGP-C is unusually long (58 amino acid residues) and contains two hydrophobic segments interrupted by a lysine residue. 2) The SPGP-C is cleaved only from a subset of pGP-C proteins. A substantial portion of pGP-C accumulates that still contains the SPGP-C.3)The cleaved SPGP-C is rather long-lived (t(1/2) of more than 6 h). 4) The cleaved SPGP-C resides in the membrane and is resistant to digestion with proteinase K even in the presence of detergents, suggesting a very compact structure. 5) SPGP-C accumulates in virus particles. These unusual features of the cleaved SPGP-C suggest that SPGP-C not only targets the nascent pGP-C to the endoplasmic reticulum membrane but also has additional functions in lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus life cycle.
authors.affiliation: Zentrum für Molekulare Biologie der Universität Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 282, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Froeschke
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Basler
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Groettrup
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dobberstein
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies; D002458:Cell Fractionation; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D019286:Endopeptidase K / Q000494:pharmacology; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D008217:Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus / Q000737:chemistry*; D051379:Mice; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals / Q000502:physiology*; D021381:Protein Transport; D014162:Transfection; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D006023:Glycoproteins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011498:Protein Precursors; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C479900:glycoprotein C, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus; D019286:Endopeptidase K