Erns is a glycoprotein found on the surface of the BVDV viron. In
addition to being a virion protein, a proportion of Erns is
secreted from infected cells into the extracellular environment as
a consequence of it lacking a typical transmembrane anchor domain.
The biological significance of secreted Erns has not been
determined. However, Erns has two defined activities. First, Erns
has an RNase activity that shows a strong preference for
single-stranded RNA (ssRNA). Second, Erns glycoproteins of both
BVDV and a closely related pestivirus, classical swine fever virus
(CSFV), have been shown to bind to cell surface
glycosylaminoglycans through residues located close to their C
termini.
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