Structural and antigenic analysis of the nucleic acid-binding proteins of bovine and feline leukemia viruses.

The nucleic acid-binding proteins of bovine leukemia virus (BLV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV) were isolated in a high state of purity with chloroform-methanol extraction followed by reversed-phase liquid chromatography. Selective solubilization and purity of BLV p12 and FeLV p10 was confirmed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The compositions and molecular weights were determined by amino acid analysis. An abundance of lysine and arginine residues along with their size identifies both BLV p12 and FeLV p10 as small basic proteins similar to well-defined type C viral nucleoproteins. NH2-terminal degradation by the semiautomated Edman method provided the sequence of the first 40 amino acids for both proteins. The putative nucleic acid binding site found in several type C viral nucleoproteins was contained within this sequence, with the most homology centered around an eight-amino acid region involving seven identical residues and one substitution. Antisera were developed in rabbits, and specificity and titers were determined by electroblotting and immunoautoradiography. By this technique, an immunological cross-reaction was found between BLV p12 and FeLV p10. The shared antigenic determinant most likely exists in the highly conserved eight-amino acid region. Although this sequence is also highly conserved in the nucleic acid-binding proteins of murine leukemia viruses, the shared antigenic determinant is not found in these or any other type C viruses tested. It is suggested that substitution of arginine (BLV p12/FeLV p10) to lysine (murine leukemia virus p10) is sufficient to elicit a change in antibody specificity.