Genetic analysis of adenovirus type 2 III. Temperature sensitivity of processing viral proteins.

Using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide slab gel electrophoresis of [35S]methionine-labeled adenovirus type 2-infected KB cell extracts, a total of 23 virus-induced polypeptides was detected. This technique was applied to the analysis of the temperature-sensitive mutant, ts 1, which has previously been shown to be defective in a late function. By means of pulse-chase experiments, ts 1 was shown to be defective in the processing of the precursor polypeptide (Pre VII) to the major core protein VII. Two other putative precursor polypeptides, Va (27K) and Vb (24K), were also not processed. Thus, the ts 1 mutation blocked the appearance of six post-translational clevage products, i. e., polypeptides VI, VII, VIII, X, XI, and XII. All of these polypeptides are virion components. Processing was temperature sensitive in a shift-up experiment, whereas it was normal in a shift-down experiment. The kinetics of the temperature-shift experiments suggested that infectious virus could be recovered if enough time is provided for processing to take place. Processing was not inhibited by cycloheximide. The analysis of purified virus particles and empty shells (TCs) revealed the presence of the precursor and putative precursor polypeptides Pre-VII, Va and Vb, instead of their cleavage products, in both types of particles. Based on these results we propose that the ts 1 gene codes for or regulates an endoprotease which is responsible for the completion of the last step in virus maturation, that is, the conversion of "young virions" into mature infectious virions by a series of maturation cleavages.