Purification, renaturation, and reconstituted protein kinase activity of the Sendai virus large (L) protein: L protein phosphorylates the NP and P proteins in vitro.

Sodium dodecyl sulfate-solubilized Sendai virus large (L) protein was highly purified by a one-step procedure, using hydroxylapatite column chromatography. Monoclonal antibodies addressed to the carboxyl-terminal amino acid sequence of the L protein were used for monitoring L protein during purification. By removing sodium dodecyl sulfate from purified L protein, a protein kinase activity was successfully renatured. P and NP proteins served as its substrates. After immunoprecipitation with anti-L antibodies, the immunocomplex already showed protein kinase activity. In the presence of P protein, the NP protein was more highly phosphorylated. The results show that Sendai virus L protein possesses a protein kinase activity phosphorylating the other proteins of the viral nucleocapsid in vitro.