A study of the measles virus-induced proteins incorporated into the cell membrane.

The polypeptide composition of a measles virus isolate from a case of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, the Halle strain, and the distribution of these polypeptides in the cell membrane have been investigated. In purified virus preparations, four major polypeptides were identified with molecular weights corresponding to 80K, 62K, 42K and 37K daltons. A minor band was found at 69K and several others with molecular weights +/- 100K. By specifically labeling the proteins exposed at the surface of BGM cells either persistently or lytically infected with the Halle virus, it was shown that only the 80K and 42K viral polypeptides were present in the cell membrane. Furthermore, it was observed that PAGE profiles of cellular polypeptides differed between infected and noninfected cells.