title: Theiler's virus L* protein is targeted to the mitochondrial outer membrane.
abstract: The L* protein encoded by Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) is a unique example of a picornaviral protein encoded by an alternative open reading frame. This protein is an important determinant of TMEV persistence in the mouse central nervous system. We showed that in infected cells, L* is partitioned between the cytosol and the mitochondria. In mitochondria, L* is anchored in the outer membrane and exposed to the cytosol. The targeting of L* to mitochondria is independent of other viral components and likely depends on a conformational signal. L* targeting to mitochondria might involve chaperones of the Hsp70 family, as these proteins are shown to interact.
authors.affiliation: Université Catholique de Louvain, de Duve Institute, MIPA-VIRO 74-49, 74 Avenue Hippocrate, B-1200 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sorgeloos
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vertommen
authors.forename: Mark H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Rider
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Michiels
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003600:Cytosol / Q000737:chemistry; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D051336:Mitochondrial Membranes / Q000737:chemistry*; D025941:Protein Interaction Mapping; D021381:Protein Transport; D017945:Theilovirus / Q000502:physiology*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; C096897:L(asterisk) protein, Theiler's encephalomyelitis virus; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; D037521:Virulence Factors