Amino acid sequence analysis of the proteolytic cleavage products of the bovine immunodeficiency virus Gag precursor polypeptide.

Bovine immunodeficiency virus Gag proteins were purified from virions, and their amino acid sequences and molecular masses were determined. The matrix, capsid, and nucleocapsid (MA, CA, and NC, respectively) and three smaller proteins (p2L, p3, and p2) were found to have molecular masses of 14.6, 24.6, and 7.3 and 2.5, 2.7, and 1.9 kDa, respectively. The order of these six proteins in the Gag precursor, Pr53gag, is NH2-MA-p2L-CA-p3-NC-p2-COOH. In contrast to other retroviral MA proteins, the bovine immunodeficiency virus MA retains its N-terminal methionine and is not modified by fatty acids. In addition, the bovine immunodeficiency virus NC migrates as a 13-kDa protein in denaturing gel electrophoresis; however, its molecular mass was determined to be 7.3 kDa.