title: Identification of a 709-amino-acid internal nonessential region within the essential conserved tegument protein (p)UL36 of pseudorabies virus.
abstract: Tegument proteins homologous to the essential herpes simplex virus type 1 UL36 gene product (p)UL36 are conserved throughout the Herpesviridae and constitute the largest herpesvirus-encoded proteins. So far, only limited information is available on their functions, which include complex formation with the (p)UL37 homologs via an N-terminal domain and a deubiquitinating activity in the extreme N terminus. For further analysis we constructed deletion mutants lacking 437, 784, 926, 1,046, 1,217, or 1,557 amino acids (aa) from the C terminus. While none of them supported replication of a pseudorabies virus (PrV) UL36 deletion mutant, a mutant polypeptide with an internal deletion from aa 2087 to 2795, which comprises a proline/alanine-rich region, fully complemented the lethal replication defect. Thus, our data indicate that the extreme C terminus of (p)UL36 fulfills an essential role in PrV replication, while a large internal portion of the C-terminal half of the protein is dispensable for replication in cell culture.
authors.affiliation: Institutes of Molecular Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.
authors.forename: Sindy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Böttcher
authors.forename: Barbara G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Klupp
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Granzow
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.forename: Kathrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Michael
authors.forename: Thomas C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Mettenleiter
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019295:Computational Biology; D003201:Computers; D017353:Gene Deletion; D011558:Herpesvirus 1, Suid / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D014764:Viral Proteins