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 Unger, B.
Right arrow Articles by Traktman, P.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Unger, B.
Right arrow Articles by Traktman, P.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Virology, August 2004, p. 8885-8901, Vol. 78, No. 16
0022-538X/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JVI.78.16.8885-8901.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Vaccinia Virus Morphogenesis: A13 Phosphoprotein Is Required for Assembly of Mature Virions

Bethany Unger and Paula Traktman*

Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226

Received 23 February 2004/ Accepted 7 April 2004

The 70-amino-acid A13L protein is a component of the vaccinia virus membrane. We demonstrate here that the protein is expressed at late times of infection, undergoes phosphorylation at a serine residue(s), and becomes encapsidated in a monomeric form. Phosphorylation is dependent on Ser40, which lies within the proline-rich motif SPPP. Because phosphorylation of the A13 protein is only minimally affected by disruption of the viral F10 kinase or H1 phosphatase, a cellular kinase is likely to be involved. We generated an inducible recombinant in which A13 protein expression is dependent upon the inclusion of tetracycline in the culture medium. Repression of the A13L protein spares the biochemical progression of the viral life cycle but arrests virion morphogenesis. Virion assembly progresses through the formation of immature virions (IVs); however, these virions do not acquire nucleoids, and DNA crystalloids accumulate in the cytoplasm. Further development into intracellular mature virions is blocked, causing a 1,000-fold decrease in the infectious virus yield relative to that obtained in the presence of the inducer. We also determined that the temperature-sensitive phenotype of the viral mutant Cts40 is due to a nucleotide transition within the A13L gene that causes a Thr48->Ile substitution. This substitution disrupts the function of the A13 protein but does not cause thermolability of the protein; at the nonpermissive temperature, virion morphogenesis arrests at the stage of IV formation. The A13L protein, therefore, is part of a newly recognized group of membrane proteins that are dispensable for the early biogenesis of the virion membrane but are essential for virion maturation.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Rd., BSB-273, Milwaukee, WI 53226. Phone: (414) 456-8253. Fax: (414) 456-6535. E-mail: ptrakt{at}mcw.edu.

Journal of Virology, August 2004, p. 8885-8901, Vol. 78, No. 16
0022-538X/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JVI.78.16.8885-8901.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Jesus, D. M., Costa, L. T., Goncalves, D. L., Achete, C. A., Attias, M., Moussatche, N., Damaso, C. R. (2009). Cidofovir Inhibits Genome Encapsidation and Affects Morphogenesis during the Replication of Vaccinia Virus. J. Virol. 83: 11477-11490 [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]  
  • Boyle, K. A., Arps, L., Traktman, P. (2007). Biochemical and Genetic Analysis of the Vaccinia Virus D5 Protein: Multimerization-Dependent ATPase Activity Is Required To Support Viral DNA Replication. J. Virol. 81: 844-859 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Chung, C.-S., Chen, C.-H., Ho, M.-Y., Huang, C.-Y., Liao, C.-L., Chang, W. (2006). Vaccinia Virus Proteome: Identification of Proteins in Vaccinia Virus Intracellular Mature Virion Particles. J. Virol. 80: 2127-2140 [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]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»