The high risk HPV16 L2 minor capsid protein has multiple transport signals that mediate its nucleocytoplasmic traffic.

ABSTRACT: In this study we examined the transport signals contributing to HPV16 L2 nucleocytoplasmic traffic using confocal microscopy analysis of enhanced green fluorescent protein-L2 (EGFP-L2) fusions expressed in HeLa cells. We confirmed that both nuclear localization signals (NLSs), the nNLS (1MRHKRSAKRTKR12) and cNLS (456RKRRKR461), previously characterized in vitro (Darshan et al., 2004), function independently in vivo. We discovered that a middle region rich in arginine residues (296SRRTGIRYSRIGNKQTLRTRS316) functions as a nuclear retention sequence (NRS), as mutagenesis of critical arginine residues within this NRS reduced the fraction of L2 in the nucleus despite the presence of both NLSs. Significantly, the infectivity of HPV16 pseudoviruses containing either RR297AA or RR297EE within the

SUBMITTER: Mamoor S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3249505 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature