Tryptic peptide analysis of the structural proteins of a temperature-sensitive mutant derived from an HVJ (Sendai virus) carrier culture.

The individual structural polypeptides of HVJ (haemagglutinating virus of Japan--the Sendai strain of parainfluenza 1 virus) were examined by tryptic peptide analysis. [3H]-methionine-labelled structural proteins of the wild-type virus of HVJ (HVJ-W) and [35S]-methionine-labelled corresponding constituent proteins of a temperature-sensitive (ts) mutant (HVJ-pB) derived from an HVJ carrier culture were compared by ion-exchange chromatography on columns of P-type chromobeads. The tryptic peptides of the individual structural proteins showed characteristic elution profiles. In all the structural proteins tested, the chromatographic elution profiles of both strains generally showed a close resemblance. However, certain minor peaks which were present in one strain but absent in the other strain were detected in the preparations of the P, HN, and F polypeptides. Further, analysis of the NP polypeptide showed that a major peak of one strain appeared at a position in the pH gradient different from a seemingly corresponding major peak of the other strain. In the M protein some possibly homologous minor peaks were found to differ between the two strains.