title: Characterisation of the coccolithovirus intein.
abstract: The identification of inteins in viral genomes is becoming increasingly common. Inteins are selfish DNA elements found within coding regions of host proteins. Following translation, they catalyse their own excision and the formation of a peptide bond between the flanking protein regions. Many inteins also display homing endonuclease function. Here, the newly identified coccolithovirus intein is described and is predicted to have both self-splicing and homing endonuclease activity. The biochemical mechanism of its protein splicing activity is hypothesised, and the prevalence of the intein among natural coccolithovirus isolates is tested.
authors.affiliation: Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, The Hoe, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK. mija@pml.ac.uk
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lanzén
authors.forename: Gunnar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bratbak
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D004720:Endonucleases / Q000378:metabolism; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral / Q000502:physiology*; D047668:Inteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017862:Phycodnaviridae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D019154:Protein Splicing; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014764:Viral Proteins; D004720:Endonucleases