Recombinant expression of late genes agno-2a and agno-2b of avian polyomavirus BFDV

Budgerigar fledgling disease virus (BFDV) genome contains two times two (two pairs) open reading frames (agnogenes) at the 5' end of the late coding region. Recombinant influenza A viruses were constructed to express the second pair of BFDV agnoproteins, agno-2a and agno-2b, with a fusion of a histidine-tag at their carboxy-termini, respectively. Specific proteins were detected in Western blot analysis using anti histidine-tag monoclonal antibody. By indirect immunofluorescence experiments agno-2a and agno-2b were shown to be located on the surface and in the perinuclear and cytoplasmic areas of infected cells. Comparisons of the expression patterns of BFDV agno-2a and agno-2b with that of simian virus 40 agnoprotein reveal high similarity, suggesting that they might have the same function(s) in polyomavirus infectious cycle.