Ty3 Nucleocapsid Controls Localization of Particle Assembly

Expression of the budding yeast retrotransposon Ty3 results in production of viruslike particles (VLPs) and retrotransposition. The Ty3 major structural protein, Gag3, similar to retrovirus Gag, is processed into capsid, spacer, and nucleocapsid (NC) during VLP maturation. The 57-amino-acid Ty3 NC protein has 17 basic amino acids and contains one copy of the CX 2 CX 4 HX 4 C zinc-binding motif found in retrovirus NC proteins. Ty3 RNA, protein,...