title: Palmitoylation of CM2 is dispensable to influenza C virus replication.
abstract: CM2 is the second membrane protein of influenza C virus. The significance of the posttranslational modifications of CM2 remains to be clarified in the context of viral replication, although the positions of the modified amino acids on CM2 have been determined. In the present study, using reverse genetics we generated rCM2-C65A, a recombinant influenza C virus lacking CM2 palmitoylation site, in which cysteine at residue 65 of CM2 was mutated to alanine, and examined viral growth and viral protein synthesis in the recombinant-infected cells. The rCM2-C65A virus grew as efficiently as did the parental virus in cultured HMV-II cells as well as in embryonated chicken eggs. The synthesis and biochemical features of HEF, NP, M1 and mutant CM2 in the rCM2-C65A-infected HMV-II cells were similar to those in the parental virus-infected cells. Furthermore, membrane flotation analysis of the infected cells revealed that equal amount of viral proteins was recovered in the plasma membrane fractions of the rCM2-C65A-infected cells to that in the parental virus-infected cells. These findings indicate that defect in palmitoylation of CM2 does not affect transport and maturation of HEF, NP and M1 as well as CM2 in virus-infected cells, and palmitoylation of CM2 is dispensable to influenza C virus replication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Kanazawa Medical University School of Medicine, 1-1 Daigaku, Uchinada, Ishikawa 920-0293, Japan. ymuraki@kanazawa-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Muraki
authors.forename: Takako
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okuwa
authors.forename: Takatoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Furukawa
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsuzaki
authors.forename: Kanetsu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugawara
authors.forename: Toshiki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Himeda
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hongo
authors.forename: Yoshiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohara
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002645:Chickens / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D004531:Eggs / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D009982:Gammainfluenzavirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology*; D054878:Lipoylation; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000378:metabolism; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: C090877:CM2 protein, Influenza C virus; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins