Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) ORF65 virion protein is dispensable forreplication in cell culture and is phosphorylated by casein kinase II, butnot by the VZV protein kinases

摘要

The unique short region of varicella tester virus (VZV) encodes four genes. One of these, ORF65, is predicted to encode an 11-kDa protein. Antibody to ORF65 protein immunoprecipitated a 16-kDa protein from the membrane fraction of VZV-infected cells. ORF65 protein was shown to be phosphorylated by casein kinase II. The VN ORF47 or ORF66 protein kinases were not required for phosphorylation of ORF65. VN with a large deletion in ORF65 was constructed and was shown to be dispensable for replication of virus in cell culture. The herpes simplex virus homolog of VZV ORF65 has been reported to be located in the nucleus of infected calls and in virions as a tegument protein, whereas the pseudorabies virus homolog is located in the Golgi apparatus of infected cells and in virions as a type II membrane protein. The ORF65 protein localized to the Golgi apparatus in virus-infected cells and was located in virions, most likely as a type II membrane protein. Thus, VN ORF65 more closely resembles its pseudorabies virus homolog in its localization in infected cells and virions.