The role of L* protein of Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV)

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We have reported that DA strain of Theiler' s murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) grows in macrophages where TMEV persists in the chronic stage of infection, therefore maintaining the genome. On the other hand, GDVII strain of TMEV does not grow there, and cannot maintain the genome. Such strain-specific virus growth was observed only in macrophages, but not in other types of cells (host cell-dependent virus growth). L*-nonproducing DA virus demonstrated that L* protein, which is out-of-frame with the polyprotein and translated from the alternative AUG within the L coding region, plays an important role for this phenomenon (J Virol 71: 729-733, 1997; J Virol 72: 4950-4955, 1998; Microbiol Immunol, 43: 885-892, 1999).On the basis of the above data, we confirmed the importance of L* protein by using L*-producing GDVII viurs. In addition, RNase proteiction assay deomstrated that host-cell dependant strainspecific virus growth is regulated at the step of RNA replication J Virol 74: 4898-4901, 2000). In order to characterize L* protein, we used an antibody raised against a synthetic peptide. It was synthesized with kinetics similar to that of other viral proteins although less in amount. It remained stable in the cytoplasm and was not incorporated into virions. Immunostaining demonstrated that it was associated witn microtubules (Virology 289: 95-102, 2001).