G. Muyldermans et al., EXPRESSION IN ESCHERICHIA-COLI AND PURIFICATION OF THE ACTIVE AUTOPROTEASE P20 OF CLASSICAL SWINE FEVER VIRUS, Virus genes, 13(2), 1996, pp. 135-142
The genes for Flaviviridae structural proteins are located at the 5' t
erminus of the genome, while the 3' terminus contains the genes for th
e non-structural proteins. The first protein product of the large ORF
of pestiviruses, the p20 protein! is however a non-structural protein
which possess an autoproteolytic activity. Here we report the cloning
of the p20/p14 genes behind the strong Trc promotor and expression of
the p20 at high levels in E. coli. The autoprotease p20 was responsibl
e for its own release from the nascent polyprotein in E. coil and was
further purified by chromatography techniques.