Poxvirus encoded eIF2α homolog, K3 family proteins, is a key determinant of poxvirus host species specificity.

Protein kinase R plays a key role in innate antiviral immune responses of vertebrate animals. Most mammalian poxviruses encode two PKR antagonists, E3 (dsRNA binding) and K3 (eIF2α homolog) proteins. In this study, the role of K3 family proteins from poxviruses with distinct host tropisms in determining the virus host range was examined in a vaccinia E3L deletion mutant virus. It was found that K3 orthologs from the species-specific poxviruses (taterapox virus, sheeppox virus, myxoma virus, swinepox virus and yaba monkey tumor virus) restored the virus replication competency in cells derived from their natural hosts or related animal species. Further, it was found that the residues located in the helix insert region of the protein, K45 of vaccinia K3 and Y47 of the sheep poxvirus ortholog 011, are critical for the virus host species specificity. These observations demonstrate that poxvirus K3 proteins are major determinants of the virus host specificity.