Functional analysis of potential carboxy-terminal cleavage sites of tick-borne encephalitis virus capsid protein.

ABSTRACT: The mature capsid protein C of flaviviruses is generated through the proteolytic cleavage of the precursor polyprotein by the viral NS2B/3 protease. This cleavage is a prerequisite for the subsequent processing of the viral surface protein prM, and the concerted progression of these events plays a key role in the process of the assembly of infectious virions. Protein C of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) contains two amino acid sequence motifs within the carboxy-terminal region that match the canonical NS2B/3 recognition site. Site-specific mutagenesis in the context of the full-length TBEV genome was used to investigate the in vivo cleavage specificity of the viral protease in this functionally important domain. The results indicate that the downstream site is necessary and sufficient

SUBMITTER: Schrauf S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2258905 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature