title: Enterovirus type 71 2A protease functions as a transcriptional activator in yeast.
abstract: Enterovirus type 71 (EV71) 2A protease exhibited strong transcriptional activity in yeast cells. The transcriptional activity of 2A protease was independent of its protease activity. EV71 2A protease retained its transcriptional activity after truncation of 40 amino acids at the N-terminus but lost this activity after truncation of 60 amino acids at the N-terminus or deletion of 20 amino acids at the C-terminus. Thus, the acidic domain at the C-terminus of this protein is essential for its transcriptional activity. Indeed, deletion of amino acids from 146 to 149 (EAME) in this acidic domain lost the transcriptional activity of EV71 2A protein though still retained its protease activity. EV71 2A protease was detected both in the cytoplasm and nucleus using confocal microscopy analysis. Coxsackie virus B3 2A protease also exhibited transcriptional activity in yeast cells. As expected, an acidic domain in the C-terminus of Coxsackie virus B3 2A protease was also identified. Truncation of this acidic domain resulted in the loss of transcriptional activity. Interestingly, this acidic region of poliovirus 2A protease is critical for viral RNA replication. The transcriptional activity of the EV71 or Coxsackie virus B3 2A protease should play a role in viral replication and/or pathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chee-Hing
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Hui-Chun
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jeng-Geng
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Che-Fang
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Yi-Jen
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Meng-Jiun
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Yue-Li
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Juang
authors.forename: Shih-Yen
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lo
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence / Q000235:genetics*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000502:physiology*; D029821:Enterovirus A, Human / Q000201:enzymology*; D029822:Enterovirus B, Human / Q000201:enzymology*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017384:Sequence Deletion / Q000235:genetics*; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000502:physiology*; D020798:Two-Hybrid System Techniques; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D015003:Yeasts
chemical_list: D015534:Trans-Activators; D014764:Viral Proteins; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; C057400:picornain 2A, Picornavirus