CHARACTERIZATION OF THE EPSTEIN-BARR-VIRUS PROTEINASE AND COMPARISON WITH THE HUMAN CYTOMEGALOVIRUS PROTEINASE

The BVRF2 gene of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) shows homology to the UL26 and UL80 genes of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and cytomegalovirus (CMV), respectively. These genes are believed to provide a scaffold protein for the assembly of capsids leading to the formation of infectious viral particles. We have cloned the BVRF2 gene from the B95.8 strain of EBV and shown that the BVRF2 gene product is a polyprotein capable of autoproteolytic cleavage. Two Ala-Ser-containing recognition sequences wee identified in the BVRF2, polyprotein at amino acid positions 568/569 and 570/571 where this cleavage was expected to occur. Here, we show that EBV proteinase is capable of cleaving at the first Ala-Ser bond but not the second. Comparison of the processing of the EBV and human CMV assembly domains in vitro by either EBV or human CMV proteinase revealed that, while both proteinases could cleave their native assembly domain, only EBV proteinase was able to cleave the assembly domain of the other virus.