Figure 8.
Hypothesis explaining the mechanism by which nuclear targeting of the RGNNV B1 protein via domains B and C induces p53/p21-mediated cell cycle arrest in GF-1 cells. The novel RGNNV non-structural protein B1 is expressed at an early replication stage (between 12 hpi and 24 hpi) in GF-1 cells. EYFP tagging shows the nuclear localization of B1 at 24 h (minor) and 48 hpi (mainly). Prediction of nuclear localization signals and domain deletion experiments showed that domains B and C, but not domains A and D, play a role in nuclear targeting. Nuclear targeting of the B1 protein induced cell cycle arrest of GF-1 cells at the G1/S phase via upregulation of p21 and p53 expression and downregulation of Cyclin D1, CDK4 and Mdm2 expression at 48 hpt.