1. Distinct Binding Sites for Zinc and Double-Stranded RNA in the Reovirus Outer Capsid Protein σ3
- Author
-
L A, Schiff, M L, Nibert, M S, Co, E G, Brown, and B N, Fields
- Subjects
Binding Sites ,viruses ,Molecular Sequence Data ,fungi ,RNA-Binding Proteins ,Cell Biology ,Reoviridae ,Peptide Fragments ,Structure-Activity Relationship ,Viral Proteins ,Zinc ,Capsid ,Capsid Proteins ,Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ,Amino Acid Sequence ,Molecular Biology ,Peptide Hydrolases ,RNA, Double-Stranded ,Research Article - Abstract
By atomic absorption analysis, we determined that the reovirus outer capsid protein sigma 3, which binds double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), is a zinc metalloprotein. Using Northwestern blots and a novel zinc blotting technique, we localized the zinc- and dsRNA-binding activities of sigma 3 to distinct V8 protease-generated fragments. Zinc-binding activity was contained within an amino-terminal fragment that contained a transcription factor IIIA-like zinc-binding sequence, and dsRNA-binding activity was associated with a carboxy-terminal fragment. By these techniques, new zinc- and dsRNA-binding activities were also detected in reovirus core proteins. A sequence similarity was observed between the catalytic site of the picornavirus proteases and the transcription factor IIIA-like zinc-binding site within sigma 3. We suggest that the zinc- and dsRNA-binding activities of sigma 3 may be important for its proposed regulatory effects on viral and host cell transcription and translation.
- Published
- 1988