Nucleic Acid-binding Properties of Adenovirus Structural Polypeptides

Abstract
The ability of adenovirus structural polypeptides to bind nucleic acids was assessed by separating the polypeptides on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels, transferring them electrophoretically to nitrocellulose and probing with 32P-labeled nucleic acids. Polypeptides IVa2, V, VI and VII, as well as trace amounts of pVII and a polypeptide of apparent MW 40 .times. 103 were able to bind label under these conditions. Labeling was also detected with a smaller polypeptide, possibly related to the cleavage products of pVII and/or pVI. The binding of DNA to polypeptide VI appeared to be more sensitive to detergents than the others. No sequence specificity could be detected in the DNA binding.