Open AccessRous sarcoma virus contains sequences which permit expression of the gag gene in Escherichia coli.
Author(s) -
Brion Mermer,
Michael H. Malamy,
J M Coffin
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
molecular and cellular biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.14
H-Index - 327
eISSN - 1067-8824
pISSN - 0270-7306
DOI - 10.1128/mcb.3.10.1746
Subject(s) - biology , rous sarcoma virus , group specific antigen , escherichia coli , gene , transcription (linguistics) , viral structural protein , gene expression , microbiology and biotechnology , gene product , translation (biology) , virology , virus , genetics , viral replication , messenger rna , viral entry , linguistics , philosophy
Several aspects of Rous sarcoma virus gene expression, including transcription, translation, and protein processing, can occur within Escherichia coli containing cloned viral DNA. The viral long terminal repeat contains a bacterial promoter, and viral sequences at or near the authentic viral initiation codon permit the initiation of translation. These signals can direct the synthesis in E. coli of the viral gag gene precursor Pr76 or, when fused to a portion of the lacZ gene, a gag-beta-galactosidase fusion protein. Pr76 is processed into gag structural proteins in E. coli in a process which is dependent upon the gag product p15. These observations suggest that E. coli can be used for the introduction and analysis of mutations in sequences relevant to viral gene expression.