Characterization of the varicella-zoster virus gene 61 protein Stevenson, David and Colman, Kathryn L. and Davison, Andrew J.,, 73, 521-530 (1992), doi = https://doi.org/10.1099/0022-1317-73-3-521, publicationName = Microbiology Society, issn = 0022-1317, abstract= The protein predicted to be encoded by varicella-zoster virus (VZV) gene 61 exhibits limited amino acid sequence similarity to the herpes simplex virus type 1 nuclear phosphoprotein Vmw110, which functions as a transcriptional activator. The gene 61 protein was expressed in its entirety, or as an amino- or carboxy-terminal fragment in Escherichia coli and vaccinia virus recombinants, and monospecific rabbit antisera were raised against an E. coli fusion between β-galactosidase and the majority of the gene 61 protein. Use of the antisera showed that the gene 61 protein is present in VZV-infected cell nuclei as a heterogeneous phosphoprotein of M r 62K to 65K. Phosphorylation occurs in the amino- and, to a lesser extent, carboxy-terminal portions of the protein. The carboxy-terminal region directs transport of the protein to the nucleus, whereas the amino-terminal region, which contains a potential zinc-binding domain, is responsible for a punctate distribution. Preliminary mapping data indicated that gene 61 is transcribed as a 1.8 kb mRNA which initiates about 65 bp upstream from the translation initiation codon, at a position located appropriately with respect to potential regulatory elements., language=, type=