NUCLEOTIDE-SEQUENCE OF MAIZE-DWARF MOSAIC-VIRUS CAPSID PROTEIN GENE AND ITS EXPRESSION IN ESCHERICHIA-COLI

The 3'-terminal 1279 nucleotide sequence of maize dwarf mosaic virus ( MDMV) genome has been determined. This sequence contains an open readi ng frame of 1023 nucleotides and a 3'-non-coding region of 256 nucleot ides. The open reading frame includes all of the coding regions for th e viral capsid protein (CP) and part of the viral nuclear inclusion pr otein (NIb). The predicted viral CP consists of 313 amino acid residue s with a calculated molecular weight of 35400. The amino acid sequence of the viral CP derived from MDMV cDNA shows about 47%-54% homology t o that of 4 other potyviruses. The viral CP gene was constructed in fr ame with the lacZ gene in pUC19 plasmid and expressed in E. coli cells . The fusion polypeptide positively reacted in western blot with an an tiserum prepared against the native viral CP.