THE RNA-BINDING REGION OF THE PARAMYXOVIRUS SV5 V-PROTEINS AND P-PROTEINS

The V/P gene of simian virus 5 (SV5) encodes two proteins, V (222 resi dues) and the phosphoprotein P (392 residues). the V and P proteins ar e amino coterminal for 164 residues, but they have unique carboxy term ini due to addition of two nontemplated G residues to the P mRNA durin g transcription. We have shown that the V and P proteins bind RNA by u sing both Northwestern blot analysis and ultraviolet-light crosslinkin g. The RNA-binding region has been mapped to a region in the P and V p roteins which contains five basic residues (K74, K76, K77, R79, K81). Either deletion of the basic residues or substitution of the basic res idues with alanine inhibited RNA binding by the V or P proteins. (C) 1 997 Academic Press.