Vaccinia virus G1 protein, a predicted metalloprotease, is essential for morphogenesis of infectious virions but not for cleavage of major core proteins.

ABSTRACT: Genes encoding orthologs of the vaccinia virus G1 protein are present in all poxviruses for which sequence information is available, yet neither the role of the protein nor its requirement for virus replication is known. G1 was predicted to be involved in the cleavage of core proteins, based on a transfection study and the presence of an HXXEH motif found in a subset of metallopeptidases. In the present study, we engineered a recombinant vaccinia virus containing a single copy of the G1L gene with a C-terminal epitope tag that is stringently regulated by the Escherichia coli lac repressor. In the absence of inducer, expression of G1 was repressed and virus replication was inhibited. Rescue of infectious virus was achieved by expression of wild-type G1 in trans, but not when the putative pr

SUBMITTER: Ansarah-Sobrinho C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC421688 | biostudies-literature | 2004 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature