The 32-kilodalton envelope protein of vaccinia virus synthesized in Escherichia coli binds with specificity to cell surfaces. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • The nature of interaction between vaccinia virus and the surface of host cells as the first step in virus infection is undefined. A 32-kDa virus envelope protein has been identified as a cell surface binding protein (J.-S. Maa, J. F. Rodriguez, and M. Esteban, J. Biol. Chem. 265:1569-1577, 1990). To carry out studies on the structure-function relationship of this protein, the 32-kDa protein was obtained from Escherichia coli cells harboring the expression plasmid pT7Ek32. The recombinant polypeptide was found to have structural properties similar to those of the native virus envelope protein. Binding studies of 125I-labeled 32-kDa protein to cultured cells of various origins revealed that the E. coli-produced 32-kDa protein exhibited selectivity, specificity, and saturability. Scatchard analysis indicated about 4.5 x 10(4) sites per cell with a high affinity (Kd = 1.8 x 10(-9) M), suggesting interaction of the 32-kDa protein with a specific receptor. The availability of large quantities of the 32-kDa virus protein in bacteria will permit further structural and functional studies of this virus envelope protein and facilitate identification of the specific cell surface receptor.

publication date

  • January 1, 1991

Research

keywords

  • Cell Membrane
  • Vaccinia virus
  • Viral Envelope Proteins

Identity

PubMed Central ID

  • PMC240546

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 0026097210

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1128/JVI.65.1.499-504.1991

PubMed ID

  • 1985213

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 65

issue

  • 1