ORF47 protein is a tegument protein which possesses a kinase activity (J Gen Virol 1994. 75 (Pt 2): 317-326, Virology 1992. 191: 9-18) and is a homolog of herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1) UL13, human cytomegalovirus (hCMV) UL97 and Epstein Barr virus (EBV) BFLF4 protein kinases (J Virol 1989. 63: 450-455).
The ORF32 encodes a protein of 16 kDa located in the cytosol of virus-infected cells and post – translationally modified by the ORF47 protein kinase.
The ORF3 encodes a predicted 179 amino acid protein with a potential role in gene expression. Several studies showed ORF3 protein as dispensable for viral replication and establishment of latency.
The ORF53, which is predicted to be a tegument protein, consists of 331 amino acids and plays a critical role in cytoplasmic virus egress. ORF53 participates in the final step of tegumentation and envelope acquisition within the host cytoplasm.
Open reading frame 68 (ORF68) of Varicella zoster encodes for essential, most immunogenic and most abundant glycoprotein E (gE).
The ORF22 encodes for the inner tegument protein UL36 that plays multiple roles in the viral cycle.
The ORF50 gene of the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) encodes glycoprotein M which is conserved among all herpesviruses. VZV gM is predicted to be an eight-transmembrane envelope glycoprotein modified with a complex N-linked oligosaccharide.
VZV ORF36 is present in the central region of the UL segment and consists of 1026 nucleotides.
Immediate-early 62 protein (IE62) is a homolog of herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1) ICP4. These two proteins have conserved DNA bidnding domain,while not activation domain (J Virol 1993. 67: 4246-4251).
Open reading frame 37 (ORF37) of Varicella zoster encodes for envelope glycoprotein H (gH). VZV gH is a 118kDa type 1 transmembrane glycoprotein highly conserved among other alphaherpesviruses.