Host-dependent phosphorylation and kinase activity associated with vesicular stomatitis virus

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Molecular Biology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) is a model system for studying virus-host interactions.
• Protein kinases play crucial roles in viral replication and pathogenesis.
• pp60src is a known tyrosine kinase associated with viral transformation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify protein kinases associated with VSV.
• To investigate the role of pp60src in VSV infection and M protein phosphorylation.
• To determine if pp60src activity can be manipulated by host cell conditions.

Main Methods:

• Immunoprecipitation was used to identify protein kinases in VSV.
• Western blotting and kinase assays were performed to quantify pp60src activity.
• VSV was propagated in different host cells to manipulate pp60src content.

Main Results:

• pp60src, a tyrosine-specific kinase, was identified in VSV-associated proteins.
• Growing VSV in transformed baby hamster kidney cells increased pp60src activity by 7-fold.
• Increased pp60src specifically enhanced tyrosine phosphorylation of the VSV M protein up to 20-fold.

Conclusions:

• pp60src is a significant tyrosine kinase associated with VSV.
• The level of pp60src in VSV can be modulated by the host cell environment.
• pp60src-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of the M protein does not appear to alter its function.