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Hog cholera virus: molecular composition of virions from a pestivirus

H J Thiel1, R Stark, E Weiland

  • 1Federal Research Centre for Virus Diseases of Animals, Tübingen, Federal Republic of Germany.

Journal of Virology
|September 1, 1991
PubMed

Insights

Hog cholera virus (HCV) virions contain a 14-kDa nucleocapsid protein (HCV p14) and three envelope glycoproteins (gp44/48, gp33, gp55). These glycoproteins form complex disulfide-linked dimers, a novel finding for RNA viruses.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Structural Biology

Background:

  • Hog cholera virus (HCV) is a significant pathogen within the Pestivirus genus.
  • Understanding the structural components of HCV virions is crucial for developing antiviral strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize the structural proteins of hog cholera virus (HCV) virions.
  • To investigate the covalent interactions among HCV envelope glycoproteins.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of virions using specific antibodies.
  • Identification and characterization of viral proteins and their molecular weights.
  • Investigation of protein-protein interactions, specifically disulfide-linked dimerization.

Main Results:

  • A 14-kDa nucleocapsid protein (HCV p14) was identified in HCV virions, with an equivalent protein found in bovine viral diarrhea virus.
  • The HCV envelope comprises three glycoproteins: HCV gp44/48, gp33, and gp55.
  • All three glycoproteins exist as disulfide-linked dimers in infected cells and virions, with complex homodimerization (gp44/48, gp55) and heterodimerization (gp55 with gp33) observed.

Conclusions:

  • HCV p14 is the nucleocapsid protein of hog cholera virus.
  • The complex disulfide-linked dimerization of HCV envelope glycoproteins represents a unique structural feature among RNA viruses.
  • These findings provide new insights into the structural organization and potential assembly mechanisms of pestiviruses.

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