Ds. Bischoff et Jm. Slavicek, CHARACTERIZATION OF THE LYMANTRIA-DISPAR NUCLEOPOLYHEDROVIRUS 25K FP GENE, Journal of General Virology, 77, 1996, pp. 1913-1923
The Lymantria dispar nucleopolyhedrovirus (LdMNPV) gene encoding the 2
5K FP protein has been cloned and sequenced. The 25K FP gene codes for
a 217 amino acid protein with a predicted molecular mass of 24870 Da.
Expression of the 25K FP protein in a rabbit reticulocyte system gene
rated a 27 kDa protein, in close agreement with the molecular mass pre
dicted from the nucleotide sequence. The gene is located between 40 .
3 and 40 . 8 map units on the viral genome. It is transcribed in a cou
nterclockwise direction with respect to the circular map at late times
during the infection cycle from a consensus baculovirus late promoter
. The LdMNPV and Autographa californica nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV)
25K FP proteins exhibit 52% amino acid identity with several regions s
howing greater than 75% identity. Homologues to the AcMNPV orf59 and o
rf60 were also identified upstream (with respect to the genome) of the
25K FP gene in LdMNPV and exhibit 52% and 45% amino acid identity, re
spectively.