Characterization of the adenovirus 2 virion protein, mu.

Adenovirus 2 virions contain a small, highly basic protein known as mu (mu). Partial sequence analysis of mu labeled with radioactive amino acids showed that it is derived from an 11-kDa virion precursor protein, L2-79R. Amino acid analysis, direct microsequence analysis, time-of-flight mass spectrometer analysis, and chemical synthesis demonstrated that mu is the unmodified, 19 amino acid peptide obtained from the 79-residue precursor by adenovirus-encoded proteinase-mediated cleavage after glycine31 and glycine50. Mu bound tightly to DNA and was located in the virion core. In vitro, mu could precipitate DNA fragments, suggesting that it may have a role in viral chromosome condensation.