Full text loading...
Abstract
Cytoplasmic extracts prepared from avian reovirus (ARV) strain S1133-infected chicken embryo fibroblasts were examined for the presence of RNA- binding proteins in order to identify and characterize ARV RNA-binding proteins. Analysis of binding activity to poly(A)-Sepharose indicated that infected cells contained significant amounts of a protein that co-migrated with ARV protein σNS present in total virus-infected cell extracts. Determination of the N-terminal amino acid sequence of several peptide fragments generated by V8 protease digestion of the poly(A)-Sepharose- purified protein confirmed that this viral protein was σNS. Competition assays showed that singlestranded RNA from the unrelated avian pathogen infectious bursal disease virus was able to compete for binding of σNS to poly(A)-Sepharose. These data suggest that ARV σNS binds to single-stranded RNA in a nucleotide sequence non-specific manner and is functionally similar to its counterpart specified by mammalian reovirus.
- Published Online: