The viral three-prime repair exonuclease (v-trex) gene of the Anticarsia gemmatalis multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (AgMNPV) is the first baculovirus gene to be described with significant homology to a 3′ exonuclease. v-trex is an early gene that is expressed by AgMNPV from 3 h post-infection. In the present study, the AgMNPV v-trex ORF was cloned into the baculovirus Autographa californica multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) under the control of a polyhedrin promoter. The resulting virus produced an abundant, soluble protein that migrated with an apparent size of 23·7 kDa. The 3′ to 5′ exonuclease activity associated with this v-trex-expressing recombinant AcMNPV was 2000-fold above that of wild-type AcMNPV. This exonuclease activity was inhibited by EDTA and was activated in the presence of Mg2+ and, to a lesser extent, Mn2+. From these results, the AgMNPV v-trex gene is concluded to encode an independently active 3′ to 5′ exonuclease.
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