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Journal of Virology, July 2005, p. 7979-7989, Vol. 79, No. 13
0022-538X/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JVI.79.13.7979-7989.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

A Cellular Drosophila melanogaster Protein with Similarity to Baculovirus F Envelope Fusion Proteins

Oliver Lung and Gary W. Blissard^*

Boyce Thompson Institute, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

Received 5 December 2004/ Accepted 8 March 2005

Baculovirus F (fusion) proteins are found in the envelopes of budded virions. Recently a Drosophila melanogaster gene (CG4715) that encodes a protein with sequence similarity to baculovirus F proteins was discovered. To examine similarities and differences with baculovirus F proteins, we cloned the D. melanogaster cellular F (Dm-cF) protein gene and analyzed Dm-cF expression and localization. The predicted Dm-cF protein sequence lacks a furin cleavage site, and transiently expressed Dm-cF showed no protein cleavage and no detectable membrane fusion activity. In cell localization studies, transiently expressed Dm-cF was localized to intracellular organelles in D. melanogaster S2 cells, unlike baculovirus F proteins, which localize to cellular plasma membranes. Using reverse transcriptase PCR and Western blot analysis to examine Dm-cF expression in animals, we detected Dm-cF expression in both larval and adult D. melanogaster cells. However, Dm-cF expression was detected only in third instar larvae and adults, suggesting that Dm-cF expression may be developmentally regulated. We also identified genes related to Dm-cF in the genomes of two other Drosophila species, Drosophila yakuba and Drosophila pseudoobscura, and the mosquito Anopheles gambiae. These observations suggest that f genes may be present in the genomes of many insects. Conservation within and between 22 baculovirus and 4 insect F proteins was examined in detail. These studies demonstrate that Dm-cF is expressed in D. melanogaster and suggest that if baculovirus f genes are derived from a host cellular f gene, the function appears to have changed substantially upon adaptation to the baculovirus infection cycle.

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* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Boyce Thompson Institute, Cornell University, Tower Road, Ithaca, NY 14853. Phone: (607) 254-1366. Fax: (413) 480-4762. E-mail: gwb1{at}cornell.edu.

Present address: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada.

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Journal of Virology, July 2005, p. 7979-7989, Vol. 79, No. 13
0022-538X/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JVI.79.13.7979-7989.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

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