title: Vaccinia virus N1L protein resembles a B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) family protein.
abstract: Poxviruses encode immuno-modulatory proteins capable of subverting host defenses. The poxvirus vaccinia expresses a small 14-kDa protein, N1L, that is critical for virulence. We report the crystal structure of N1L, which reveals an unexpected but striking resemblance to host apoptotic regulators of the B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) family. Although N1L lacks detectable Bcl-2 homology (BH) motifs at the sequence level, we show that N1L binds with high affinity to the BH3 peptides of pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins in vitro, consistent with a role for N1L in modulating host antiviral defenses.
authors.affiliation: Burnham Institute for Medical Research, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aoyagi
authors.forename: Dayong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhai
authors.forename: Chaofang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Alexander E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Aleshin
authors.forename: Boguslaw
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stec
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Liddington
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D019281:Dimerization; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011485:Protein Binding; D011487:Protein Conformation; D020836:Protein Structure, Quaternary; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014616:Vaccinia virus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: C464479:N1L protein, Vaccinia virus; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D014764:Viral Proteins