title: Vaccinia virus protein A3 is required for the production of normal immature virions and for the encapsidation of the nucleocapsid protein L4.
abstract: Maturation of the vaccinia virion is an intricate process that results in the organization of the viroplasm contained in immature virions into the lateral bodies, core wall and nucleocapsid observed in the mature particles. It is unclear how this organization takes place and studies with mutants are indispensable in understanding this process. By characterizing an inducible mutant in the A3L gene, we revealed that A3, an inner core wall protein, is important for formation of normal immature viruses and also for the correct localization of L4, a nucleocapsid protein. L4 did not accumulate in the viral factories in the absence of A3 and was not encapsidated in the particles that do not contain A3. These data strengthen our previously suggested hypothesis that A3 and L4 interact and that this interaction is critical for proper formation of the core wall and nucleocapsid.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA. Electronic address: ddejesus@chori.org.
authors.forename: Desyree Murta
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Jesus
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
authors.forename: Nissin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Moussatche
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
authors.forename: Baron B D
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: McFadden
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
authors.forename: Casey Paulasue
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: D'Costa
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
authors.forename: Richard C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Condit
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D006801:Humans; D019251:Nucleocapsid / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding; D014615:Vaccinia / Q000821:virology; D014616:Vaccinia virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014771:Virion / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D019065:Virus Assembly
chemical_list: D014758:Viral Core Proteins
keywords: A3; Core wall; Nucleocapsid; Vaccinia virus