New insights into processing of bovine viral diarrhea virus glycoproteins E(rns) and E1.
Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is a member of the genus Pestivirus within the family Flaviviridae. Its single-stranded RNA encodes a polyprotein that is cleaved co- and post-translationally by viral and cellular proteases. However, the cleavage between the envelope proteins E(rns) and E1 is still unexplained. In this study, an E(rns)-E1 protein could be identified and characterized with a new E1-specific antiserum. With bicistronic constructs bearing a deletion in the E(rns)-encoding region and expressing E(rns) or the E(rns)-E1 protein, it could be shown that this protein is not essential for virus replication. Furthermore, two putative cleavage sites were mutated in eukaryotic expression plasmids, as well as in full-length cDNA constructs. The mutation of position P3 of a potential signal peptide peptidase site abolished cleavage completely and no infectious virus progeny could be observed, indicating that cleavage of the E(rns)-E1 protein is indispensable for virus growth.
Wegelt
Anne
A
Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Suedufer 10, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.
Reimann
Ilona
I
Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Suedufer 10, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.
Zemke
Johanna
J
Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Suedufer 10, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.
Beer
Martin
M
Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Suedufer 10, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D001908:Diarrhea Viruses, Bovine Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017353:Gene Deletion; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral / Q000502:physiology; D016679:Genome, Viral; D011817:Rabbits; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000502:physiology
D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins