Detection of cellular proteins associated with human adenovirus type 5 early region 1A polypeptides

Antisera prepared against synthetic peptides corresponding to the amino and carboxy termini of human adenovirus type 5 (Ad5) early region 1A (E1A) proteins were used to identify polypeptides that are associated with these viral species in lytically infected KB cells. Proteins were sought which coprecipitated with E1A polypeptides using both sera and which were not recognized in extracts from mock-infected cells by either serum. Four such species were identified with apparent molecular weights of 68K, 65K, and a doublet at about 105K. A fifth species migrating with a molecular weight in excess of 250K was also identified consistently with E1A-C1 but not E1A-N1 serum. Addition of an excess of the appropriate synthetic peptide to the immunoprecipitation mixtures prevented the precipitation of all of these species. Mixing experiments demonstrated that all species were cellular proteins expressed in normal uninfected KB cells and in addition showed that an association with E1A proteins could take place in vitro. Studies carried out with the mutants pm975 and hr1 indicated that while the 105K doublet and the greater than 250K species were found with the products of both the 1.1- and 0.9-kb E1A mRNAs, 65K and 68K appeared to be primarily associated with those of the 1.1-kb mRNA. Finally, the 105K doublet and greater than 250K were shown to be phosphoproteins. These data indicated that Ad5 E1A proteins may function in a complex with cellular polypeptides which includes species of 105K, 68K, 65K, and possibly a large protein of greater than 250K.