%0 Journal Article %A Yu, Mei %A Carstens, Eric B. %T Choristoneura fumiferana multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus LEF-3–P143 complex can complement DNA replication and budded virus in an AcMNPV LEF-3–P143 double knockout bacmid %D 2012 %J Journal of General Virology, %V 93 %N 2 %P 383-388 %@ 1465-2099 %R https://doi.org/10.1099/vir.0.036699-0 %I Microbiology Society, %X Transient replication assays using Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) and Choristoneura fumiferana multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (CfMNPV) genes suggested that the interactions between P143, the viral helicase and LEF-3, a ssDNA-binding protein, may represent virus species specificity determinants. P143 and LEF-3 are essential for DNA replication in these assays and together with IE-1, the major immediate-early transcription factor, may be part of the viral replisome. In the current report, a lef-3/p143 double-knockout AcMNPV bacmid was constructed that was defective for viral DNA replication and late gene expression. When the homologous lef-3/p143 CfMNPV genes were introduced into this double-knockout bacmid, DNA replication was restored but the level of replication was lower, budded virus production was delayed, and the yields were reduced from those in an AcMNPV-rescue bacmid. These results suggest that to maximize virus replication, baculovirus replisome assembly and function requires protein–protein interactions between P143 and LEF-3, and other viral proteins. %U https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/vir.0.036699-0