Nucleotide sequence and transcriptional analysis of the p80 gene of Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus: a homologue of the Orgyia pseudotsugata nuclear polyhedrosis virus capsid-associated gene.

The 67.2- to 68.5-m.u. region of Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus was sequenced. A large open reading frame (ORF) was identified in the clockwise direction on the circular genome map which could potentially encode an 80-kDa polypeptide. Analysis of the predicted amino acid sequence of this ORF indicated that it was a homologue of the p87 capsid-associated gene of Orgyia pseudotsugata MNPV with an overall amino acid similarity of 34.3%. A late transcript of 2.1 kb was mapped to this open reading frame. An antisense 3.1-kb transcript partially overlapped the 5' end of the 2.1-kb RNA. Anti-extracellular virus sera reacted with a fusion protein consisting of a portion of the AcMNPV p80 gene fused to the bacterial trpE gene product, suggesting that the AcMNPV p80 gene product was also a component of the virus capsid.