Analysis of polypeptides in Tacaribe virus-infected cells.

Two virus-induced polypeptides designated p79 (mol wt, 79,000) and p105 (mol wt, 105,000) in BHK21 or Vero cells infected with Tacaribe (Tac) virus have been identified. Both polypeptides were found in immune precipitates with antiserum to Tac virus, suggesting that they are virus specific. Two-dimensional gel analysis of Tac virus-infected Vero cell extracts indicated that p79 and p105 were acidic proteins which did not comigrate with any polypeptides from uninfected cells. Neither of the polypeptides was found to be phosphorylated under conditions in which phosphorylation of the N (nucleocapsid) protein was detected. Comparison of one-dimensional peptide maps of the p79 polypeptide and the nucleoprotein indicated that they are unrelated in primary sequences.