The nine C-terminal amino acids of the major capsid protein of the human papillomavirus type 16 are essential for DNA binding and gene transfer capacity

• Published in: FEMS microbiology letters 2000-08, Vol.189 (1), p.121-127
• Main Authors: Touzé, Antoine, Mahé, Dominique, El Mehdaoui, Slimane, Dupuy, Catherine, Combita-Rojas, Alba-lucia, Bousarghin, Latifa, Sizaret, Pierre-Yves, Coursaget, Pierre
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: AL1 protein; Amino Acid Sequence; Baculovirus; Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; Capsid Proteins; DNA - metabolism; DNA binding; DNA protection; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Deletion; Gene transfer; Gene Transfer Techniques; Genetic engineering; Genetic technics; Human papillomavirus 16; Human papillomavirus type 16; Humans; L1 Protein; Methods. Procedures. Technologies; Microbiology; Molecular Sequence Data; Nuclear localization signal peptide; Nuclear Localization Signals; Nuclear Proteins; Oncogene Proteins, Viral - chemistry; Oncogene Proteins, Viral - genetics; Oncogene Proteins, Viral - metabolism; Papillomaviridae - chemistry; Papillomaviridae - genetics; Papillomaviridae - metabolism; Plasmids - genetics; Plasmids - metabolism; Recombinant Proteins - genetics; Recombinant Proteins - metabolism; Replicative cycle, interference, host-virus relations, pathogenicity, miscellaneous strains; Vectors (cloning, transfer, expression). Insertion sequences and transposons; Virion - metabolism; Virion - ultrastructure; Virology; Virus Assembly; Virus-like particle
• ISSN: 0378-1097; 1574-6968
• DOI: 10.1016/S0378-1097(00)00248-2

Four C-terminal deletion mutants of the human papillomavirus 16 L1 protein were expressed in the baculovirus expression system. They consist of the deletion of amino acids 497–505, 477–505, 403–505 and 302–505 (ΔC9, ΔC31, ΔC103 and ΔC204 respectively). Only two of the C-terminally deleted proteins, ΔC9 and ΔC31, retained the ability to form virus-like particles (VLPs) resembling those obtained with the full length L1 protein. Analysis of deleted L1 proteins and corresponding VLPs indicated that the C-terminus was necessary both for DNA binding and DNA packaging. These results were corroborated by the loss of the gene transfer capacities of C-terminal deleted VLPs.