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Journal of Virology, July 2001, p. 5752-5761, Vol. 75, No. 13
0022-538X/01/$04.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/JVI.75.13.5752-5761.2001
Vaccinia Virus A30L Protein Is Required for
Association of Viral Membranes with Dense Viroplasm To Form
Immature Virions
Patricia
Szajner,1,2
Andrea S.
Weisberg,1
Elizabeth J.
Wolffe,1,
and
Bernard
Moss1,2,*
Laboratory of Viral Diseases, National
Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of
Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-0445,1 and
Graduate Program of the Department of Genetics, The George
Washington University, Washington, D.C. 200522
Received 1 March 2001/Accepted 26 March 2001
The previously uncharacterized A30L gene of vaccinia virus has
orthologs in all vertebrate poxviruses but no recognizable nonpoxvirus
homologs or functional motifs. We determined that the A30L gene was
regulated by a late promoter and encoded a protein of approximately 9 kDa. Immunoelectron microscopy of infected cells indicated that the
A30L protein was associated with viroplasm enclosed by crescent and
immature virion membranes. The A30L protein was also present in mature
virions and was partially released by treatment with a nonionic
detergent and reducing agent, consistent with a location in the matrix
between the core and envelope. To determine the role of the A30L
protein, we constructed a stringent conditional lethal mutant with an
inducible A30L gene. In the absence of inducer, synthesis of viral
early and late proteins occurred but the proteolytic processing of
certain core proteins was inhibited, suggesting an assembly block.
Inhibition of virus maturation was confirmed by electron microscopy.
Under nonpermissive conditions, we observed aberrant large, dense,
granular masses of viroplasm with clearly defined margins; viral
crescent membranes that appeared normal except for their location at a
distance from viroplasm; empty immature virions; and an absence of
mature virions. The data indicated that the A30L protein is needed for
vaccinia virus morphogenesis, specifically the association of the dense viroplasm with viral membranes.
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: 4 Center Dr.,
MSC 0445, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892-0445. Phone: (301) 496-9869. Fax:
(301) 480-1147. E-mail: bmoss{at}nih.gov.

Present address: Sangamo BioSciences, Inc., Richmond, CA
94804.
Journal of Virology, July 2001, p. 5752-5761, Vol. 75, No. 13
0022-538X/01/$04.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/JVI.75.13.5752-5761.2001
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