Catalytic subunit of the mRNA capping enzyme which catalyzes three enzymatic reactions: the 5' triphosphate end of the pre-mRNA is hydrolyzed to a diphosphate by RNA 5' triphosphatase; the diphosphate RNA end is capped with GMP by RNA guanylyltransferase and the GpppN cap is methylated by RNA (guanine-N7) methyltransferase. Heterodimeric mRNA capping enzyme catalyzes the linkage of a N7-methyl-guanosine moiety to the first transcribed nucleotide (cap 0 structure), whereas the polymerase associated VP39 is responsible for a second methylation at the 2'-O position of the ribose (cap 1 structure). The heterodimeric enzyme is also involved in early viral gene transcription termination and intermediate viral gene transcription initiation. Early gene transcription termination requires the termination factor VTF, the DNA-dependent ATPase NPH-I and the Rap94 subunit of the viral RNA polymerase, as well as the presence of a specific termination motif. Binds, together with RAP94, to the termination motif 5'-UUUUUNU-3' in the nascent early mRNA. a 5'-end triphospho-(purine-ribonucleoside) in mRNA + H2O = a 5'-end diphospho-(purine-ribonucleoside) in mRNA + H(+) + phosphate a 5'-end diphospho-ribonucleoside in mRNA + GTP + H(+) = a 5'-end (5'-triphosphoguanosine)-(ribonucleoside) in mRNA + diphosphate a 5'-end (5'-triphosphoguanosine)-(ribonucleoside) in mRNA + S-adenosyl-L-methionine = a 5'-end (N(7)-methyl 5'-triphosphoguanosine)-ribonucleoside in mRNA + S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine A-570 and A-763 mutants have 3-fold and 10-fold higher Km values for GpppA. Heterodimer of a catalytic and a regulatory subunit. Intrinsic methyltransferase activity of the catalytic subunit is weak and needs to be stimulated 30- to 50-fold by the regulatory subunit, which is itself catalytically inert. All the enzymes and other proteins required to synthesize early mRNAs are packaged within the virion core along with the DNA genome. The N-terminus contains the triphosphatase and guanylyltransferase domains, whereas the C-terminus contains the methyltransferase domain. The N-terminus is involved in binding to the termination motif 5'-UUUUUNU-3' in the nascent mRNA. In the N-terminal section; belongs to the dsDNA virus mRNA guanylyltransferase family. In the C-terminal section; belongs to the class I-like SAM-binding methyltransferase superfamily. mRNA cap 0 methyltransferase family.