VPg

[Bruce Phillips]

	The cellular enzyme that cleaves VPg from the 5' uridine on the
picornaviral RNAs attacks the phosphodiester bond, as shown by Baltimore's
group some years ago.  I'm sure I can locate the reference if anyone is
interested.  Therefore, the enzyme is not a protease.  Rather, it
specifically hits the bond linking the terminal uridylic acid to the
tyrosine which resides somewhere in the middle of the VPg peptide.

	I agree that there are some neat experimental approaches that could
be focused on the problem, one that just might not be trivial.  Anyone think
NIH would fund such a project, especially after the Republican-initiated
25% cut to NIH?