Key result
The internally initiated AAV5 Rep40-like protein was functional with helicase activity similar to AAV2 Rep40, and a P19 mutant showed reduced virus levels consistent with a role in encapsidation.
AAV5 generates a functional Rep40-like protein via alternative internal translation initiation, which is required for efficient genome encapsidation.
Although precluded from using splicing to produce multiple small Rep proteins, adeno-associated virus type 5 (AAV5) generates a Rep40-like protein by alternative translation initiation at an internal AUG. A defined region upstream of the internal AUG was both required and sufficient to program internal initiation within AAV5 and may act similarly in heterologous contexts. The internally initiated AAV5 Rep40-like protein was functional and had helicase activity similar to that of AAV2 Rep40. Surprisingly, both the AAV5 Rep40-like protein and Rep52 were able to be translated from the AAV5 upstream P7-generated RNAs; however, the relative level of small to large Rep proteins was reduced compared to that of the wild type. A P19 mutant AAV5 infectious clone generated near-wild-type levels of the double-stranded monomer replicative form (mRF) replicative intermediate but reduced levels of virus, consistent with the previously defined role of Rep40-like proteins in genome encapsidation. Levels of mutant virus were dramatically reduced upon amplification.
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Fasina et al. (2012) studied this question. AAV5 Rep40-like protein and P19 mutant AAV5 vs. Wild type AAV5 and AAV2 Rep40 was evaluated on Helicase activity and virus encapsidation levels. The internally initiated AAV5 Rep40-like protein was functional with helicase activity similar to AAV2 Rep40, and a P19 mutant showed reduced virus levels consistent with a role in encapsidation.
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