Synthesis of virus-specific proteins in tick-borne encephalitis virus-infected pig embryo kidney cells.

Purified virions of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus contain 3 proteins, V1, V2 and V3, with molecular weights of 8 000, 13 000 and 53 000 daltons, respectively. Seven virus-specific polypeptides were revealed in TBE-virus infected continuous pig embryo kidney cells, namely p93-96, p79, p69, p53, p47, p16 and p13 (pN designating polypeptide with a mol wt of N X 1 000 daltons). Proteins p93-96, p69, p53, p47 and p13 corresponded by their mol wt to proteins NV5, NV4, V3 and V2 (NV1 1/2) of mosquito-borne flaviviruses. Protein p79, designated NV4 1/2, and protein p16 (the only virus-specific protein inhibited by hypertonic NaCl concentrations), had no analogues among proteins of mosquito-borne flaviviruses. The possibility of a cellular origin of protein p47 (NV3) is discussed.