This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by DeMasi, J.
Right arrow Articles by Traktman, P.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by DeMasi, J.
Right arrow Articles by Traktman, P.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Virology, March 2000, p. 2393-2405, Vol. 74, No. 5
0022-538X/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Clustered Charge-to-Alanine Mutagenesis of the Vaccinia Virus H5 Gene: Isolation of a Dominant, Temperature-Sensitive Mutant with a Profound Defect in Morphogenesis

Joseph DeMasi and Paula Traktman*

Program in Molecular Biology, Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Cornell University, New York, New York 10021, and Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226

Received 4 October 1999/Accepted 23 November 1999

The vaccinia virus H5 gene encodes a 22.3-kDa phosphoprotein that is expressed during both the early and late phases of viral gene expression. It is a major component of virosomes and has been implicated in viral transcription and, as a substrate of the B1 kinase, may participate in genome replication. To enable a genetic analysis of the role of H5 during the viral life cycle, we used clustered charge-to-alanine mutagenesis in an attempt to create a temperature-sensitive (ts) virus with a lesion in the H5 gene. Five mutant viruses were isolated, with one of them, tsH5-4, having a strong ts phenotype as assayed by plaque formation and measurements of 24-h viral yield. Surprisingly, no defects in genome replication or viral gene expression were detected at the nonpermissive temperature. By electron microscopy, we observed a profound defect in the early stages of virion morphogenesis, with arrest occurring prior to the formation of crescent membranes or immature particles. Nonfunctional, "curdled" virosomes were detected in tsH5-4 infections at the nonpermissive temperature. These structures appeared to revert to functional virosomes after a temperature shift to permissive conditions. We suggest an essential role for H5 in normal virosome formation and the initiation of virion morphogenesis. By constructing recombinant genomes containing two H5 alleles, wild type and H5-4, we determined that H5-4 exerted a dominant phenotype. tsH5-4 is the first example of a dominant ts mutant isolated and characterized in vaccinia virus.


* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Rd., BSB-273, Milwaukee, WI 53211. Phone: (414) 456-8253. Fax: (414) 456-6535. E-mail: ptrakt{at}mcw.edu.


Journal of Virology, March 2000, p. 2393-2405, Vol. 74, No. 5
0022-538X/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Satheshkumar, P. S., Weisberg, A., Moss, B. (2009). Vaccinia Virus H7 Protein Contributes to the Formation of Crescent Membrane Precursors of Immature Virions. J. Virol. 83: 8439-8450 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Schuessler, A., Sampaio, K. L., Sinzger, C. (2008). Charge Cluster-to-Alanine Scanning of UL128 for Fine Tuning of the Endothelial Cell Tropism of Human Cytomegalovirus. J. Virol. 82: 11239-11246 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Nichols, R. J., Stanitsa, E., Unger, B., Traktman, P. (2008). The Vaccinia Virus Gene I2L Encodes a Membrane Protein with an Essential Role in Virion Entry. J. Virol. 82: 10247-10261 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • D'Costa, S. M., Bainbridge, T. W., Condit, R. C. (2008). Purification and Properties of the Vaccinia Virus mRNA Processing Factor. J. Biol. Chem. 283: 5267-5275 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Scanzano, R., Segall, L., Blostein, R. (2007). Specific Sites in the Cytoplasmic N Terminus Modulate Conformational Transitions of the Na,K-ATPase. J. Biol. Chem. 282: 33691-33697 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Wang, J.-H., Janas, A. M., Olson, W. J., KewalRamani, V. N., Wu, L. (2007). CD4 Coexpression Regulates DC-SIGN-Mediated Transmission of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1. J. Virol. 81: 2497-2507 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Meng, X., Embry, A., Sochia, D., Xiang, Y. (2007). Vaccinia Virus A6L Encodes a Virion Core Protein Required for Formation of Mature Virion. J. Virol. 81: 1433-1443 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Husain, M., Weisberg, A. S., Moss, B. (2006). Existence of an operative pathway from the endoplasmic reticulum to the immature poxvirus membrane. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 103: 19506-19511 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Stanitsa, E. S., Arps, L., Traktman, P. (2006). Vaccinia Virus Uracil DNA Glycosylase Interacts with the A20 Protein to Form a Heterodimeric Processivity Factor for the Viral DNA Polymerase. J. Biol. Chem. 281: 3439-3451 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Resch, W., Weisberg, A. S., Moss, B. (2005). Vaccinia Virus Nonstructural Protein Encoded by the A11R Gene Is Required for Formation of the Virion Membrane. J. Virol. 79: 6598-6609 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Mercer, J., Traktman, P. (2005). Genetic and Cell Biological Characterization of the Vaccinia Virus A30 and G7 Phosphoproteins. J. Virol. 79: 7146-7161 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Punjabi, A., Traktman, P. (2005). Cell Biological and Functional Characterization of the Vaccinia Virus F10 Kinase: Implications for the Mechanism of Virion Morphogenesis. J. Virol. 79: 2171-2190 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • da Fonseca, F. G., Weisberg, A. S., Caeiro, M. F., Moss, B. (2004). Vaccinia Virus Mutants with Alanine Substitutions in the Conserved G5R Gene Fail To Initiate Morphogenesis at the Nonpermissive Temperature. J. Virol. 78: 10238-10248 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Boyle, K. A., Traktman, P. (2004). Members of a Novel Family of Mammalian Protein Kinases Complement the DNA-Negative Phenotype of a Vaccinia Virus ts Mutant Defective in the B1 Kinase. J. Virol. 78: 1992-2005 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Grubisha, O., Traktman, P. (2003). Genetic Analysis of the Vaccinia Virus I6 Telomere-Binding Protein Uncovers a Key Role in Genome Encapsidation. J. Virol. 77: 10929-10942 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Mercer, J., Traktman, P. (2003). Investigation of Structural and Functional Motifs within the Vaccinia Virus A14 Phosphoprotein, an Essential Component of the Virion Membrane. J. Virol. 77: 8857-8871 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Punjabi, A., Boyle, K., DeMasi, J., Grubisha, O., Unger, B., Khanna, M., Traktman, P. (2001). Clustered Charge-to-Alanine Mutagenesis of the Vaccinia Virus A20 Gene: Temperature-Sensitive Mutants Have a DNA-Minus Phenotype and Are Defective in the Production of Processive DNA Polymerase Activity. J. Virol. 75: 12308-12318 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Szajner, P., Weisberg, A. S., Wolffe, E. J., Moss, B. (2001). Vaccinia Virus A30L Protein Is Required for Association of Viral Membranes with Dense Viroplasm To Form Immature Virions. J. Virol. 75: 5752-5761 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Kovacs, G. R., Vasilakis, N., Moss, B. (2001). Regulation of Viral Intermediate Gene Expression by the Vaccinia Virus B1 Protein Kinase. J. Virol. 75: 4048-4055 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Ishii, K., Moss, B. (2001). Role of Vaccinia Virus A20R Protein in DNA Replication: Construction and Characterization of Temperature-Sensitive Mutants. J. Virol. 75: 1656-1663 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Yeh, W. W., Moss, B., Wolffe, E. J. (2000). The Vaccinia Virus A9L Gene Encodes a Membrane Protein Required for an Early Step in Virion Morphogenesis. J. Virol. 74: 9701-9711 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Traktman, P., Liu, K., DeMasi, J., Rollins, R., Jesty, S., Unger, B. (2000). Elucidating the Essential Role of the A14 Phosphoprotein in Vaccinia Virus Morphogenesis: Construction and Characterization of a Tetracycline-Inducible Recombinant. J. Virol. 74: 3682-3695 [Abstract] [Full Text]