Minor structural protein VP2 in rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus downregulates the expression of the viral capsid protein VP60.
Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) has two structural proteins: the major capsid protein VP60 and the minor capsid protein VP2. VP2 is speculated to play an important role in the virus life cycle. To investigate the effect of VP2 on VP60 expression, three types of experiment (baculovirus-insect cell system, mammalian-luciferase assay system and in vitro coupled transcription/translation system) were used to express VP60 alone or co-expressed with VP2. Both forms of VP60 were able to form virus-like particles in insect cells. Western blot analysis and dual-luciferase assays demonstrated that the presence of VP2 results in downregulation of the expression of VP60 in vivo. Real-time RT-PCR of mRNA levels showed that downregulation of VP60 occurs at the transcriptional level. The ability of the viral minor structural protein VP2 to regulate capsid protein levels may contribute to effective virus infection.
Chen
Liu
L
Institute of Virology and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, PR China.
Liu
Guangqing
G
Institute of Virology and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, PR China.
Ni
Zheng
Z
Institute of Virology and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, PR China.
Yu
Bin
B
Institute of Virology and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, PR China.
Yun
Tao
T
Institute of Virology and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, PR China.
Song
Yi
Y
College of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, PR China.|Institute of Virology and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, PR China.
Hua
Jionggang
J
Institute of Virology and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, PR China.
Li
Shuangmao
S
Institute of Virology and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, PR China.
Chen
Jianping
J
Institute of Virology and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, PR China.
D000818:Animals; D016367:Baculoviridae; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015536:Down-Regulation; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D017929:Hemorrhagic Disease Virus, Rabbit / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D011817:Rabbits; D018411:Spodoptera / Q000821:virology; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014771:Virion / Q000378:metabolism; D014779:Virus Replication
D015678:Viral Structural Proteins; C081149:viral protein 60, rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus