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Journal of Virology, February 2008, p. 1294-1304, Vol. 82, No. 3
0022-538X/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JVI.01815-07
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus Core Is an Intrinsically Disordered Protein That Binds RNA{triangledown}

Catherine L. Murray, Joseph Marcotrigiano,{dagger} and Charles M. Rice*

Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, Center for the Study of Hepatitis C, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10065

Received 17 August 2007/ Accepted 6 November 2007

Pestiviruses, including bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), are important animal pathogens and close relatives of hepatitis C virus. Pestivirus particles are composed of an RNA genome, a host-derived lipid envelope, and four virion-encoded structural proteins, core (C), Erns, E1, and E2. Core is a small, highly basic polypeptide that is processed by three enzymatic cleavages before its incorporation into virions. Little is known about its biological properties or its role in virion assembly and structure. We have purified BVDV core protein and characterized it biochemically. We have determined that the processed form of core lacks significant secondary structure and is instead intrinsically disordered. Consistent with its highly basic sequence, we observed that core binds to RNA, although with low affinity and little discernible specificity. We found that BVDV core protein was able to functionally replace the nonspecific RNA binding and condensing region of an unrelated viral capsid protein. Together these results suggest that the in vitro properties of core may reflect its mechanism of action in RNA packaging and virion morphogenesis.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, Center for the Study of Hepatitis C, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Ave., New York, NY 10065. Phone: (212) 327-7046. Fax: (212) 327-7048. E-mail: ricec{at}rockefeller.edu

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 21 November 2007.

{dagger} Present address: Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, 679 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, NJ 08854.

Journal of Virology, February 2008, p. 1294-1304, Vol. 82, No. 3
0022-538X/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JVI.01815-07
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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