Charge configurations in viral proteins.

The spatial distribution of the charged residues of a protein is of interest with respect to potential electrostatic interactions. We have examined the proteins of a large number of representative eukaryotic and prokaryotic viruses for the occurrence of significant clusters, runs, and periodic patterns of charge. Clusters and runs of positive charge are prominent in many capsid and core proteins, whereas surface (glyco)proteins frequently contain a negative charge cluster. Significant charge configurations are abundant in regulatory proteins implicated in transcriptional transactivation and cellular transformation. Proteins with charge structures are much more predominant in animal DNA viruses as compared to animal RNA viruses and prokaryotic viruses. This contrast might reflect the role of protein charge structures in facilitating competitive virus-host interactions involving the cellular transcription, translation, protein sorting, and transport apparatus.