The Subcellular Distribution of Multigene Family 110 Proteins of African Swine Fever Virus Is Determined by Differences in C-Terminal KDEL Endoplasmic Reticulum Retention Motifs

Abstract

African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a large double-stranded DNA virus that replicates in discrete areas in the cytosol of infected cells called viral factories. Recent studies have shown that assembling virions acquire their internal envelopes through enwrapment by membranes derived from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). However, the mechanisms that underlie the formation of viral factories and progenitor viral membranes are as yet unclear. Analysis of the published genome of the virus revealed a conserved multigene family that encodes proteins with hydrophobic signal sequences, indicating possible translocation into the ER lumen. Strikingly, two of these genes, XP124L and Y118L, encoded prote..