Amino acid sequence determination of vaccinia virus immunodominant protein p35 and identification of the gene.

A major immunodominant envelope protein of vaccinia virus (protein p35) was purified by extraction from virions with the nonionic detergent Nonidet P-40. The protein was cleaved with cyanogen bromide. Four homogeneous peptides were isolated and their N-terminal amino acid sequences determined. A computer search of a protein-sequence data bank revealed complete identity of the determined sequences with sequences 44-63, 144-149, 154-165, and 224-238 of ORF H3 of the HindIII-H fragment of the vaccinia virus genome (Rosel et al 1986). It has therefore been established that the immunodominant protein p35 of vaccinia virus is encoded by the gene in the HindIII-H fragment of the vaccinia virus genome.