Purification of a protein kinase and two phosphate acceptor proteins from vaccinia virions.

A novel protein kinase that requires protamine as an activator to catalyze the phosphorylation of viral acceptor proteins was extracted from vaccinia virus cores with deoxycholate and purified 250-fold by DNA-cellulose and DEAE-cellulose column chromatography. The enzyme has a molecular weight of 62,000 as determined by sucrose gradient sedimentation. Two heat-stable phosphate acceptor proteins were extracted from virus particles with a nonionic detergent and purified by heat treatment, precipitation with organic solvents, and CM-cellulose chromatography. The molecular weights of the phosphate acceptor proteins, determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, are 38,500 and 11,700.