Vaccinia virus mutants with alanine substitutions in the conserved G5R gene fail to initiate morphogenesis at the nonpermissive temperature.

ABSTRACT: The initial characterization of the product of the vaccinia virus G5R gene, which is conserved in all poxviruses sequenced to date, is described. The G5 protein was detected in the core fraction of purified virions, and transcription and translation of the G5R open reading frame occurred early in infection, independently of DNA replication. Attempts to delete the G5R gene and isolate a replication-competent virus were unsuccessful, suggesting that G5R encodes an essential function. We engineered vaccinia virus mutants with clusters of charged amino acids changed to alanines and determined that several were unable to replicate at 40 degrees C but grew well at 37 degrees C. At the nonpermissive temperature, viral gene expression and DNA replication and processing were unperturbed. However, t

SUBMITTER: da Fonseca FG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC516429 | biostudies-literature | 2004 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature