Characterization of the Vaccinia Virus A35R Protein and Its Role in Virulence
Author
Roper, Rachel L.
Abstract
The vaccinia virus A35R gene is highly conserved among poxviruses and encodes a previously uncharacterized
hydrophobic acidic protein. Western blotting with anti-A35R peptide antibodies indicated that the protein
is expressed early in infection and resolved as a single sharp band of 23 kDa, slightly higher than the 20 kDa
predicted from its sequence. The protein band appeared to be the same molecular weight on sodium dodecyl
sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, whether expressed in an in vitro transcription/translation system
without microsomes or expressed in infected cells, suggesting that it was not glycosylated. A mutant virus with
the A35R gene deleted (vA35 ) formed wild-type-sized plaques on all cell lines tested (human, monkey, mouse,
and rabbit); thus, A35R is not required for replication and does not appear to be a host range gene. Although
the A35R protein is hydrophobic, it is unlikely to be an integral membrane protein, as it partitioned to the
aqueous phase during TX-114 partitioning. The protein could not be detected in virus-infected cell supernatants.
A35R localized intracellularly to the virus factories, where the first stages of morphogenesis occur. The
vA35 mutant formed near-normal levels of the various morphogenic stages of infectious virus particles and
supported normal acid-induced fusion of virus-infected cells. Despite normal growth and morphogenesis in
vitro, the vA35 mutant virus was attenuated in intranasal challenge of mice compared to wild-type and A35R
rescue virus. Thus, the intracellular A35R protein plays a role in virulence. The A35R has little homology to
any protein outside of poxviruses, suggesting a novel virulence mechanism. Originally published Journal of Virology, Vol. 80, No. 1, Jan 2006
Subject
Date
2006-01
Citation:
APA:
Roper, Rachel L.. (January 2006).
Characterization of the Vaccinia Virus A35R Protein and Its Role in Virulence.
Journal of Virology,
80(1),
306-
313. Retrieved from
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/3082
MLA:
Roper, Rachel L..
"Characterization of the Vaccinia Virus A35R Protein and Its Role in Virulence". Journal of Virology.
80:1. (306-313),
January 2006.
April 24, 2024.
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/3082.
Chicago:
Roper, Rachel L.,
"Characterization of the Vaccinia Virus A35R Protein and Its Role in Virulence," Journal of Virology 80, no.
1 (January 2006),
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/3082 (accessed
April 24, 2024).
AMA:
Roper, Rachel L..
Characterization of the Vaccinia Virus A35R Protein and Its Role in Virulence. Journal of Virology.
January 2006;
80(1):
306-313.
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/3082. Accessed
April 24, 2024.
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Publisher
East Carolina University