A lentiviral expression system demonstrates that L* protein of Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) is essential for virus growth in a murine macrophage-like cell line.
The DA subgroup strains of Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) synthesize L* protein, which is translated out of frame with the polyprotein from an alternative AUG, 13 nucleotides downstream from the authentic polyprotein AUG. By a 'loss of function' experiment using a mutant virus, DAL*-1, in which the L* AUG is mutated to an ACG, L* protein is shown to play an important role in virus persistence, TMEV-induced demyelination, and virus growth in macrophages. In the present study, we established an L* protein-expressed macrophage-like cell line and confirmed the importance of L* protein in virus growth in this cell line.
Himeda
Toshiki
T
Department of Microbiology, Kanazawa Medical University, 1-1 Uchinada, Ishikawa 920 0293, Japan.
Ohara
Yoshiro
Y
Asakura
Kunihiko
K
Kontani
Yasuhide
Y
Murakami
Manabu
M
Suzuki
Hiromi
H
Sawada
Makoto
M
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D005814:Genes, Viral; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D008264:Macrophages / Q000821:virology*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D020125:Mutation, Missense; D017354:Point Mutation; D017945:Theilovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
C096897:L(asterisk) protein, Theiler's encephalomyelitis virus; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins