Plant Pathology Department
Date of this Version
12-5-1997
Abstract
Sequence analysis of the 330-kilobase genome of the virus PBCV-1 that infects a chlorella-like green algae revealed an open reading frame, A98R, with similarity to several hyaluronan synthases. Hyaluronan is an essential polysaccharide found in higher animals as well as in a few pathogenic bacteria. Expression of the A98R gene product in Escherichia coli indicated that the recombinant protein is an authentic hyaluronan synthase. A98R is expressed early in PBCV-1 infection and hyaluronan is produced in infected algae. These results demonstrate that a virus can encode an enzyme capable of synthesizing a carbohydrate polymer and that hyaluronan exists outside of animals and their pathogens.
Comments
Published in Science 278 (December 5, 1997), pp. 1800–1803; doi 10.1126/science.278.5344.1800 Copyright © 1997 American Association for the Advancement of Science. Used by permission. http://www.sciencemag.org