Expression and localization of LEF-11 in Autographa californica nucleopolyhedrovirus infected Sf9 cells

polyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) lef-11 gene was found previously to be necessary to support optimal levels of transient expression from an AcMNPV late pro-moter. The lef-11 gene is unusual in that it overlaps both upstream (orf38) and downstream (pp31) genes. In this study, the expression and cellular localization of LEF-11 were examined. The lef-11 transcripts were detected from 4 to 36 h post-infection (p.i.). The 1–5 kb lef-11 mRNA initiates 196 nt upstream of the lef-11 translation initiation codon, within the upstream orf38 gene. This rela-tively long 5 « upstream region encodes a potential small upstream open reading frame (ORF) of 58 amino acids that overlaps the lef-11 ORF. The 3« end of the lef-11 mRNA was mapped as co-termina