me53 encoded by Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus: from mechanism to function.

ABSTRACT

me53, a highly conserved immediate early gene in all Lepidoptera baculoviruses, has been of great interest in recent years. Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) is in the family Baculoviridae, genus Alphabaculovirus. The me53 gene of AcMNPV has been sequenced, and it was transcribed late after infection. The structure of ME53 protein and its roles in the infection of host cells were summarized and discussed, including that (1) the production of Budding Virus (BV); (2) nucleocapsid formation in the host nuclei; (3) ME53 forms a lesion on the cell membrane of AcMNPV-infected cells and co-locates with GP64 and the primary capsid protein VP39; (4) the nuclear translocation signal sequence of ME53 is essential for optimal baculovirus production. In this review, we focus on the emerging roles of ME53 by discussing novel mechanisms identified to mediate or interact by ME53, which provides an important reference for the effective transformation, utilization and improvement of the anti-insect activity of AcMNPV.