Identification and characterization of the Bel 3 protein of human foamy virus.

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1995. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Identification and characterization of the Bel 3 protein of human foamy virus.

AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 1994 May;10(5):595-600. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/95000932
Weissenberger J; Flugel RM; Abteilung Retrovirale Genexpression, Forschungsschwerpunkt; Angewandte Tumorvirologie, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum,; Heidelberg, Germany.

Abstract: The human foamy virus (HFV) is a complex retrovirus that contains several regulatory and auxiliary bel genes besides the gag, pol, and env genes. In contrast to the gene products of bel 1 and bel 2/bet that were identified previously, the Bel 3 protein has not been described to date. Here we report the identification of Bel 3 in HFV-infected cells by immunoprecipitation, indirect immunofluorescence, and expression cloning under the control of a strong heterologous promoter. Bel 3 was immunoprecipitated with an antiserum directed against a bacterially expressed and purified form of recombinant Bel 3 antigen. Bel 3 was found to be expressed in low amounts in the cytoplasm of HFV-infected cells and to migrate with an apparent molecular mass of 19.4 kDa on electrophoresis in SDS-polyacrylamide gels, consistent with the calculated value of 18.2 kDa. Radioimmunoprecipitation of HFV-infected cell lysates with the hyperimmune serum against Bel 3 revealed at least two additional immunoreactive bands of 15.5 and 10.6 kDa. The results indicate that Bel 3 was labile, because it was partially degraded even at early time points after infection. On transfection and expression in transfected COS cells, recombinant Bel 3 was immunoprecipitated and migrated in three polypeptide bands of 18.7, 14.8, and 9.3 kDa under denaturing conditions. In the absence of reducing agents, the bacterially expressed and purified recombinant Bel 3 protein of 16.1 kDa can form homodimers of 30 kDa.

Keywords: Animal Base Sequence Cell Line Cloning, Molecular DNA Primers/GENETICS Escherichia coli/GENETICS Gene Expression Genes, Viral Human Immunohistochemistry Molecular Sequence Data Molecular Weight Retroviridae Proteins/*GENETICS/IMMUNOLOGY/ISOLATION & PURIF Spumavirus/*GENETICS/IMMUNOLOGY Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Transfection JOURNAL ARTICLE
950130
M9510839

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