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. 1992 Feb;66(2):1109–1118. doi: 10.1128/jvi.66.2.1109-1118.1992

Sequential phosphorylation of the phosphoprotein of vesicular stomatitis virus by cellular and viral protein kinases is essential for transcription activation.

S Barik 1, A K Banerjee 1
PMCID: PMC240815  PMID: 1309893

Abstract

The phosphoprotein (P) and the large protein (L) constitute the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). We show that phosphate-free P protein expressed in bacteria is transcriptionally inactive when reconstituted with L protein and viral N-RNA template free of cellular protein kinase. Phosphorylation of P protein by a cellular kinase(s) was essential for transcription as well as for further phosphorylation by an L-associated kinase, the two kinases acting in a sequential (cascade) manner. Phosphate groups introduced by cell kinase were stable, whereas those due to L kinase underwent a turnover which was coupled to ongoing transcription. We present a model for the phosphorylation pathway of P protein and propose that continued phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of P protein may represent a transcriptional regulatory (on-off) switch of nonsegmented negative-strand RNA viruses.

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Selected References

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