Proteomics computational analyses suggest that the bornavirus glycoprotein is a class III viral fusion protein (gamma penetrene).
BACKGROUND
Borna disease virus (BDV) is the type member of the Bornaviridae, a family of viruses that induce often fatal neurological diseases in horses, sheep and other animals, and have been proposed to have roles in certain psychiatric diseases of humans. The BDV glycoprotein (G) is an extensively glycosylated protein that migrates with an apparent molecular mass of 84,000 to 94,000 kilodaltons (kDa). BDV G is post-translationally cleaved by the cellular subtilisin-like protease furin into two subunits, a 41 kDa amino terminal protein GP1 and a 43 kDa carboxyl terminal protein GP2.


RESULTS
Class III viral fusion proteins (VFP) encoded by members of the Rhabdoviridae, Herpesviridae and Baculoviridae have an internal fusion domain comprised of beta sheets, other beta sheet domains, an extended alpha helical domain, a membrane proximal stem domain and a carboxyl terminal anchor. Proteomics computational analyses suggest that the structural/functional motifs that characterize class III VFP are located collinearly in BDV G. Structural models were established for BDV G based on the post-fusion structure of a prototypic class III VFP, vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein (VSV G).


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that G encoded by members of the Bornavirdae are class III VFPs (gamma-penetrenes).
Garry
Courtney E
CE
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane University Heath Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112, USA. cgarry@gmail.com
Garry
Robert F
RF
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001891:Borna disease virus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D028981:Bornaviridae / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D040901:Proteomics; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics
D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins