Messenger ribonucleoprotein complexes in human KB cells infected with adenovirus type 5 contain tightly bound viral-coded '100K' proteins.

Late after infection of KB cells with adenovirus 5 an extra protein becomes associated with messenger ribonucleoprotein particles present in the polysomes. This protein has a molecular weight of 100000 and is identical to the virus coded '100K' protein found previously. The extra protein is firmly attached to the messenger ribonucleoprotein complexes. Its binding resists exposure to high salt concentrations as used in puromycin/high-salt dissociation and equilibrium centrifugation in Cs2SO4 gradients. In this respect it resembles the binding of two other proteins of Mr 74000 and 48000 which are commonly found in messenger ribonucleoprotein particles of various eukaryotic cells. The identity between the messenger ribonucleoprotein protein of Mr 100000 and the "100K' protein present in the soluble part of the cytoplasm was established by sodium dodecylsulphate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, isoelectric focusing and peptide mapping after limited proteolysis with Staphylococcus aureus protease.