Protein cleavage during virus assembly: a novel specificity of assembly dependent cleavage in bacteriophage T4

Cleavage of precursor proteins occurs during assembly of numerous viruses. Seven bacteriophage T4 head-related proteins areknown to be cleaved during morphogenesis. Sequences surrounding the cleavage sites in T4 head precursors P23 and IPIII are reported here. We previously determined the sequences of precursor and processed forms of IPII and IPI. Cleavage occurs at a glutamyl-alanyl bond in each protein. By comparison of sequences around five cleaved and four uncleaved Glu-Ala bonds in head precursors, it appears that cleavage is limited to the Thr or Ala, and X2 to hydrophilic residues. The results suggest the viral-induced assembly protease recognizes and cleaves an extended primary structure in the structurally dissimilar precursors.