title: No evidence for translation of pog, a predicted overlapping gene of Solenopsis invicta virus 1.
abstract: An overlapping open reading frame (ORF) with a potential to encode a functional protein has been identified within the 3'-proximal ORF of Solenopsis invicta virus 1 (SINV-1) and three bee viruses. This ORF has been referred to as predicted overlapping gene (pog). Protein motif searches of POG revealed weak relationships precluding assignment of a potential function. Neither a transcript nor a protein encoded by the pog ORF has been detected. However, recently, a protein encoded by the corresponding +1 overlapping ORF (termed ORFx) in the Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV) was demonstrated by recombinant means as well as in IAPV-infected honey bees. The objective of our study was to attempt to provide empirical evidence for the presence of a pog-derived protein from SINV-1-infected fire ants. A number of different laboratory and field SINV-1-infected Solenopsis invicta preparations were examined by western blotting for the presence of a POG protein sequence. In every case, these preparations failed to yield any detectable bands when probed with a polyclonal antibody preparation raised to a portion of the pog predicted protein sequence. Although impossible to prove a negative result, proper controls used in these studies suggested that the pog ORF is not translated into a functional protein in SINV-1.
authors.affiliation: Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, USDA-ARS, 1600 SW 23rd Drive, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA. steven.valles@ars.usda.gov
authors.forename: Steven M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Valles
authors.forename: Niv
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sabath
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001000:Ants / Q000821:virology; D001516:Bees / Q000821:virology; D056629:Dicistroviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005807:Genes, Overlapping; D007304:Insect Viruses / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016366:Open Reading Frames / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014764:Viral Proteins