Mapping the RNA-binding domain on the Apple chlorotic leaf spot virus movement protein

The RNA-binding properties of the cell-to-cell movement protein (MP) of Apple chlorotic leaf spot virus were analysed. MP was expressed in Escherichia coli and was used in UV-crosslinking analysis, using a digoxigenin–UTP-labelled RNA probe and gel-retardation analysis. The analyses demonstrated that MP bound cooperatively to single-stranded RNA (ssRNA). When analysed for NaCl dependence of the RNA-binding activity, the majority of the MP could bind ssRNA even in binding buffer with 1 M NaCl. Furthermore, competition binding experiments showed that the MP bound preferentially to ssRNA and single-stranded DNA without sequence specificity. MP deletion mutants were used to identify the RNA-binding domain by UV-crosslinking analysis. Amino acid residues 82–126 and 127–287 potentially contain two independently active, single-stranded nucleic acid-binding domains.