Characterization of the Open Reading Frame 35 of Bombyx mori Nucleopolyhedrovirus

Characterization of the Open Reading Frame 35 of Bombyx mori Nucleopolyhedrovirus

Open reading frame 35 (bm35) of the Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) is a special gene whose homologues are only found in some group-I nucleopolyhedroviruses, suggesting that bm35 plays a specific role in the viral life cycle. This paper described the characterization of BmNPV bm35. Computerassisted sequence analysis shows that a putative RING finger motif is observed in the protein, Bm35 encoded by bm35. The coding sequence of bm35 was amplified and subcloned into the vector pET30a(+) and the $(His)_6$-tagged fusion protein His-Bm35 was expressed in the Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) LysS cells. The bm35 transcript and Bm35 protein were detected in BmNPV-infected BmN cells at 12~48 h post infection (p.i.) by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis using the polyclonal antibody generated by immunizing a rabbit with purified $(His)_6$-tagged Bm35, suggesting that bm35 is synthesized in the late stage of BmNPV infection cycle. Bm35 was not a structural component associated with budded virus (BV) and occlusion derived virus (ODV). These data indicated that bm35 is a functional gene in the BmNPV life cycle.