Cell-to-cell and phloem-mediated transport of potato virus X. The role of virions

Movement-deficient potato virus X (PVX) mutants tagged with the green fluorescent protein were used to investigate the role of the coat protein (CP) and triple gene block (TGB) proteins in virus movement. Mutants lacking either a functional CP or TGB were restricted to single epidermal cells. Microinjection of dextran probes into cells infected with the mutants showed that an increase in the plasmodesmal size exclusion limit was dependent on one or more of the TGB proteins and was independent of CP. Fluorescently labeled CP that was injected into epidermal cells was confined to the injected cells, showing that the CP lacks an intrinsic transport function. In additional experiments, transgenic plants expressing the PVX CP were used as rootstocks and grafted with nontransformed scions. Inoculation of the PVX CP mutants to the transgenic rootstocks resulted in cell-to-cell and systemic movement within the transgenic tissue. Translocation of the CP mutants into sink leaves of the nontransgenic scions was also observed, but infection was restricted to cells close to major veins. These results indicate that the PVX CP is transported through the phloem, unloads into the vascular tissue, and subsequently is transported between cells during the course of infection. Evidence is presented that PVX uses a novel strategy for cell-to-cell movement involving the transport of filamentous virions through plasmodesmata.     

Transgenic or plant expression vector-mediated recombination of Plum Pox Virus

Different mutants of an infectious full-length clone (p35PPV-NAT) of Plum pox virus (PPV) were constructed: three mutants with mutations of the assembly motifs RQ and DF in the coat protein gene (CP) and two CP chimeras with exchanges in the CP core region of Zucchini yellow mosaic virus and Potato virus Y. The assembly mutants were restricted to single infected cells, whereas the PPV chimeras were able to produce systemic infections in Nicotiana benthamiana plants. After passages in different transgenic N. benthamiana plants expressing the PPV CP gene with a complete (plant line 4.30.45.) or partially deleted 3'-nontranslated region (3'-NTR) (plant line 17.27. 4.), characterization of the viral progeny of all mutants revealed restoration of wild-type virus by recombination with the transgenic CP RNA only in the presence of the complete 3'-NTR (4.30.45.). Reconstitution of wild-type virus was also observed following cobombardment of different assembly-defective p35PPV-NAT together with a movement-defective plant expression vector of Potato virus X expressing the intact PPV-NAT CP gene transiently in nontransgenic N. benthamiana plants. Finally, a chimeric recombinant virus was detected after cobombardment of defective p35PPV-NAT with a plant expression vector-derived CP gene from the sour cherry isolate of PPV (PPV-SoC). This chimeric virus has been established by a double recombination event between the CP-defective PPV mutant and the intact PPV-SoC CP gene. These results demonstrate that viral sequences can be tested for recombination events without the necessity for producing transgenic plants.     

Production of siRNA targeted against TYLCV coat protein transcripts leads to silencing of its expression and resistance to the virus

The coat protein (CP) of Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV), encoded by the v1 gene, is the only known component of the viral capsid. In addition, the CP plays a role in the virus transport into the host cell nucleus where viral genes are replicated and transcribed. In this study, we analyzed the effect of small interfering double-stranded RNAs (siRNAs), derived from an intron-hairpin RNA (ihpRNA) construct and targeting the v1 gene product, on CP accumulation. Transient assays involving agroinfiltration of the CP-silencing construct followed by infiltration of a fused GFP-CP (green fluorescent protein-coat protein) gene showed down-regulation of GFP expression in Nicotiana benthamiana. Some of the transgenic tomato plants (cv. Micro-Tom), expressing the siRNA targeted against the TYLCV CP gene, did not show disease symptoms 7 weeks post-inoculation with the virus, while non-transgenic control plants were infected within 2 weeks post inoculation. The present study demonstrates, for the first time, that siRNA targeted against the CP of TYLCV can confer resistance to the virus in transgenic tomato plants, thereby enabling flowering and fruit production.     

NTH201, a novel class II KNOTTED1-like protein, facilitates the cell-to-cell movement of Tobacco mosaic virus in tobacco

NTH201, a novel class II KNOTTED1-like protein gene, was cloned from tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum cv. Xanthi) and its role in Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) infection was analyzed. Virus-induced gene silencing of NTH201 caused a delay in viral RNA accumulation as well as virus spread in infected tobacco plants. Overexpression of the gene in a transgenic tobacco plant (N. tabacum cv. Xanthi nc) infected by TMV showed larger local lesions than those of the nontransgenic plant. NTH201 exhibited no intercellular trafficking ability but did exhibit colocalization with movement protein (MP) at the plasmodesmata. When NTH201-overexpressing tobacco BY-2 cultured cells were infected with TMV, the accumulation of MP but not of viral genomic and subgenomic RNA clearly was accelerated compared with those in nontransgenic cells at an early infection period. The formation of virus replication complexes (VRC) also was accelerated in these transgenic cells. Conversely, NTH201-silenced cells showed less MP accumulations and fewer VRC formations than did nontransgenic cells. These results suggested that NTH201 might indirectly facilitate MP accumulation and VRC formation in TMV-infected cells, leading to rapid viral cell-to-cell movement in plants at an early infection stage.     

Tobamoviral movement protein transiently expressed in a single epidermal cell functions beyond multiple plasmodesmata and spreads multicellularly in an infection-coupled manner

Cell-to-cell movement of a plant virus requires expression of the movement protein (MP). It has not been fully elucidated, however, how the MP functions in primary infected cells. With the use of a microprojectile bombardment-mediated DNA infection system for Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV), we found that the cotransfected ToMV MP gene exerts its effects in the initially infected cells and in their surrounding cells to achieve multicellular spread of movement-defective ToMV. Five other tobamoviral MPs examined also transcomplemented the movement-defective phenotype of ToMV, but the Cucumber mosaic virus 3a MP did not. Together with the cell-to-cell movement of the mutant virus, a fusion between the MP and an enhanced green fluorescent protein variant (EGFP) expressed in trans was distributed multicellularly and localized primarily in plasmodesmata between infected cells. In contrast, in noninfected sites the MP-EGFP fusion accumulated predominantly inside the bombarded cells as irregularly shaped aggregates, and only a minute amount of the fusion was found in plasmodesmata. Thus, the behavior of ToMV MP is greatly modulated in the presence of a replicating virus and it is highly likely that the MP spreads in the infection sites, coordinating with the cell-to-cell movement of the viral genome.     

The N-terminal domain of PMTV TGB1 movement protein is required for nucleolar localization, microtubule association, and long-distance movement

The triple-gene-block (TGB)1 protein of Potato mop-top virus (PMTV) was fused to fluorescent proteins and expressed in epidermal cells of Nicotiana benthamiana under the control of the 35S promoter. TGB1 fluorescence was observed in the cytoplasm, nucleus, and nucleolus and occasionally associated with microtubules. When expressed from a modified virus (PMTV.YFP-TGB1) which formed local lesions but was not competent for systemic movement, yellow fluorescent protein (YFP)-TGB1 labeled plasmodesmata in cells at the leading edge of the lesion and plasmodesmata, microtubules, nuclei, and nucleoli in cells immediately behind the leading edge. Deletion of 84 amino acids from the N-terminus of unlabeled TGB1 within the PMTV genome abolished movement of viral RNA to noninoculated leaves. When the same deletion was introduced into PMTV.YFP-TGB1, labeling of microtubules and nucleoli was abolished. The N-terminal 84 amino acids of TGB1 were fused to green fluorescent protein (GFP) and expressed in epidermal cells where GFP localized strongly to the nucleolus (not seen with unfused GFP), indicating that these amino acids contain a nucleolar localization signal; the fusion protein did not label microtubules. This is the first report of nucleolar and microtubule association of a TGB movement protein. The results suggest that PMTV TGB1 requires interaction with nuclear components and, possibly, microtubules for long-distance movement of viral RNA.     

Cell-to-cell movement of the 25K protein of potato virus X is regulated by three other viral proteins

The 25K, 12K, and 8K proteins and coat protein (CP) of Potato virus X (PVX) are required for virus cell-to-cell movement. In this study, experiments were conducted to determine whether the PVX 25K protein moves cell to cell and to explore potential interactions between the PVX 25K, 12K, and 8K proteins and CP. The PVX 25K gene was fused to the green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene and inserted into plasmids adjacent to the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter. These plasmids were introduced by biolistic bombardment to transgenic tobacco expressing the PVX 12K, 8K, and CP genes. The GFP:25K fused proteins moved cell to cell on nontransgenic tobacco and tobacco expressing either the 12K or 8K proteins. However, the GFP:25K proteins did not move on transgenic tobacco expressing the combined 12K/8K genes or the CP gene. Thus, movement of the PVX 25K protein through plasmodesmata may be regulated by interactions with other PVX proteins.     

Developmental Regulation of Intercellular Protein Trafficking through Plasmodesmata in Tobacco Leaf Epidermis

Plasmodesmata mediate direct cell-to-cell communication in plants. One of their significant features is that primary plasmodesmata formed at the time of cytokinesis often undergo structural modifications, by the de novo addition of cytoplasmic strands across cell walls, to become complex secondary plasmodesmata during plant development. Whether such modifications allow plasmodesmata to gain special transport functions has been an outstanding issue in plant biology. Here we present data showing that the cucumber mosaic virus 3a movement protein (MP):green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion was not targeted to primary plasmodesmata in the epidermis of young or mature leaves in transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants constitutively expressing the 3a:GFP fusion gene. Furthermore, the cucumber mosaic virus 3a MP:GFP fusion protein produced in planta by biolistic bombardment of the 3a:GFP fusion gene did not traffic between cells interconnected by primary plasmodesmata in the epidermis of a young leaf. In contrast, the 3a MP:GFP was targeted to complex secondary plasmodesmata and trafficked from cell to cell when a leaf reached a certain developmental stage. These data provide the first experimental evidence, to our knowledge, that primary and complex secondary plasmodesmata have different protein-trafficking functions and suggest that complex secondary plasmodesmata may be formed to traffic specific macromolecules that are important for certain stages of leaf development.     

Plasmodesmatal function is probed using transgenic tobacco plants that express a virus movement protein.

A gene encoding a temperature-sensitive mutant (MPP154A) of the 30-kilodalton movement protein (MP) of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) was transformed into Nicotiana tabacum cv Xanthi. Transgenic plants expressing the MPP154A gene complemented local and systemic movement of an MP-defective mutant of TMV (U3/12MPfs) at the permissive temperature of 24 degrees C but not at 32 degrees C, the nonpermissive temperature. A microinjection procedure was used to investigate the effects of the modified TMV MP on plasmodesmatal size-exclusion limits. Movement of fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled dextran (F-dextran), with an average molecular mass of 9.4 kilodaltons, was detected between leaf mesophyll cells of the transgenic plants at 24 degrees C; however, no movement of either 3.9-kilodalton or 9.4-kilodalton F-dextrans was detected when the transgenic plants were held for 6 hours (or longer) at 32 degrees C. When these plants were shifted back to 24 degrees C for 6 hours, cell-to-cell movement of the F-dextrans was again observed. Accumulation of MPP154A was not affected by the temperature regime, nor was the subcellular distribution of the MP altered. These results are consistent with a change in the protein conformation of MPP154A at the nonpermissive temperature, which gives rise to a protein that fails to modify the molecular size-exclusion limits of plasmodesmata to the same extent as wild-type MP. Surprisingly, at 32 degrees C, movement of the F-dextrans was inhibited in transgenic plants expressing the wild-type MP gene; however, the inhibition was transient and was no longer detected after 48 hours at this elevated temperature. This transient inhibition of plasmodesmatal function was alleviated with Sirofluor, an inhibitor of callose ([1----3]-beta-D-glucan) synthesis. This result provides experimental evidence that callose deposition is involved in regulating the molecular size-exclusion limit of plasmodesmata in plants. Sirofluor had no effect on the inhibition of F-dextran movement at 32 degrees C in plants expressing the MPP154A gene, indicating that callose formation was not responsible for the failure of the temperature-sensitive mutant protein to alter the size-exclusion limit of plasmodesmata.     

Studies of coat protein-mediated resistance to tobacco mosaic tobamovirus: correlation between assembly of mutant coat proteins and resistance.

Coat protein-mediated resistance (CP-MR) has been widely used to protect transgenic plants against virus diseases. To characterize the mechanisms of CP-MR to tobacco mosaic tobamovirus (TMV) we developed mutants of the coat protein that affected subunit-subunit interactions. Mutant CPs were expressed during TMV replication as well as in transgenic Nicotiana tabacum plants. The mutation T42-->W increased protein aggregation and T28-->W abolished aggregation and assembly, while the mutations T28-->W plus T42-->W and T89-->W altered normal CP subunit-subunit interactions. The mutant T28W was unable to assemble virus-like particles (VLPs) during infection and in transgenic plants failed to aggregate; this protein conferred no protection against challenge of transgenic plants by TMV. The mutant T42W had strong CP subunit-subunit interactions and formed VLPs but not infectious virions. Transgenic lines with this protein exhibited stronger protection against TMV infection than transgenic plants that contained the wild-type (wt) CP. It is proposed that increased resistance conferred by the T42W mutant results from strong interaction between transgenic CP subunits and challenge virus CP subunits. CP carrying the mutation T89-->W formed flexuous and unstable VLPs whereas the double mutant T28W:T42W formed open helical structures that accumulated as paracrystalline arrays. In transgenic plants, T89W and the double mutant CPs showed reduced ability to aggregate and provided lower protection against TMV infection than wt CP. A strong correlation between normal CP subunit-subunit interactions and CP-MR is observed, and a model for CP-MR involving interactions between the transgenic CP and the CP of the challenge virus as well as interference with virus movement is discussed.     

Engineered resistance against plant virus diseases

The development of genetic engineering techniques has enabled the production of transgenic plants that are resistant to viral diseases. Expressing the coat protein (CP) gene of a virus in Iransgenic plants confers resistance against the virus from which the gene was isolated, and to other closely related strains and viruses. This approach has been demonstrated to be effective in conferring protection against viruses from different virus groups including alfalfa mosaic virus, cucumovirus. ilarvirus, potex-virus, potyvirus, tobamovirus and tobravirus. The data available indicate that several factors may affect the efficiency of the protection obtained including the level of the CP in the transgenic plants, the plant in which the CP gene is expressed and enviromental conditions. These and other aspects of coat protein mediated resistance are discussed.     

Downregulation of the NbNACa1 gene encoding a movement-protein-interacting protein reduces cell-to-cell movement of Brome mosaic virus in Nicotiana benthamiana

The 3a movement protein (MP) plays a central role in the movement of the RNA plant virus, Brome mosaic virus (BMV). To identify host factor genes involved in viral movement, a cDNA library of Nicotiana benthamiana, a systemic host for BMV, was screened with far-Western blotting using a recombinant BMV MP as probe. One positive clone encoded a protein with sequence similarity to the alpha chain of nascent-polypeptide-associated complex from various organisms, which is proposed to contribute to the fidelity of translocation of newly synthesized proteins. The orthologous gene from N. benthamiana was designated NbNACa1. The binding of NbNACa1 to BMV MP was confirmed in vivo with an agroinfiltration-immunoprecipitation assay. To investigate the involvement of NbNACa1 in BMV multiplication, NbNACa1-silenced (GSNAC) transgenic N. benthamiana plants were produced. Downregulation of NbNACa1 expression reduced virus accumulation in inoculated leaves but not in protoplasts. A microprojectile bombardment assay to monitor BMV-MP-assisted viral movement demonstrated reduced virus spread in GSNAC plants. The localization to the cell wall of BMV MP fused to green fluorescent protein was delayed in GSNAC plants. From these results, we propose that NbNACa1 is involved in BMV cell-to-cell movement through the regulation of BMV MP localization to the plasmodesmata.     

Recombination with coat protein transgene in a complementation system based on Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV)

In order to study the feasibility of Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) as an expression vector, the full-length cDNA of RNA 3 from strain SD was cloned and the sequence around the start codon of the coat protein (CP) gene was modified to create an Nsi I site for insertion of foreign genes. The CP gene was replaced by the green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene. The cDNAs of Fny RNAs 1 and 2 and the chimeric SD RNA 3 were cloned between the modified 35S promoter and terminator. Tobacco protoplasts were transfected with a mixture of the viral cDNAs containing 35S promoter and terminator as a replacement vector and expressed GFP. A complementation system was established when the replacement vector was inoculated onto the transgenic tobacco plants expressing SD-CMV CP. GFP was detected in the inoculated leaves in 5 of 18 tested plants and in the first upper systemic leaf of one of the 5 plants ten days after inoculation. However, no GFP could be detected in all the plants one month after inoculation. Recombination be     

RNAi-directed down-regulation of RSV results in increased resistance in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Rice stripe disease (RSD), caused by rice stripe virus (RSV), is a serious disease in temperate rice-growing areas. We have created an RNAi construct containing coat protein gene (CP) and disease specific protein gene (SP) sequences from RSV. The RNAi construct was transformed into two susceptible japonica varieties, Suyunuo and Guanglingxiangjing, to develop resistance against RSD. The homozygous progeny of rice plants in the T(5) and T(7) generations containing RNAi constructs, after self-fertilization were strongly resistant to viral infection. RT-PCR indicated that viral replication of SP and CP in the transgenic plants was significantly inhibited. There were no obvious morphological or developmental differences between the transgenic and wild-type plants from seedling stage to maturity. The excellent agronomic traits of these two varieties, such as high yield and good quality were maintained. Suppression of virus genes using RNAi is therefore a practical and effective strategy for controlling viral infection in crops.     

β-1,3-glucanase class III promotes spread of PVYNTN and improves in planta protein production

Glucanases are enzymes regulating the size exclusion limit and permeability of plasmodesmata and play a role in biotic stress. In plant genomes, they are encoded as relatively large gene families divided into four classes. Most studies of plant virus interactions have focused on glucanases from classes I and II. In our study, we have evaluated the role of the β-1,3-glucanase class III (Glu-III) gene in the potato–potato virus Y^NTN (PVY^NTN) interaction and implemented the findings to plant biotechnology application. Potato cultivars Désirée and Santé, which are tolerant and extremely resistant to PVY^NTN, respectively, were stably transformed with Agrobacterium tumefaciens harbouring constructs for Glu-III overexpression. Localization of Glu-III protein in patches within the cell wall was determined by tagging the Glu-III protein with green fluorescent protein. Transgenic and non-transgenic plants were challenged with PVY^NTN and its multiplication and spreading was followed. Differences in viral spread were observed between transgenic lines overexpressing Glu-III and non-transgenic lines, with stronger and faster viral spread in transgenic Désirée, and some multiplication in transgenic Santé. In addition, the ability of Glu-III to improve in planta protein production after agroinfiltration was tested. The results have shown that Glu-III overexpression enables faster spreading of vectors between cells and better protein production, which could be beneficial in improving in planta protein production system using viral vectors.     

Distinct functions of capsid protein in assembly and movement of tobacco etch potyvirus in plants.

Tobacco etch potyvirus engineered to express the reporter protein beta-glucuronidase (TEV-GUS) was used for direct observation and quantitation of virus translocation in plants. Four TEV-GUS mutants were generated containing capsid proteins (CPs) with single amino acid substitutions (R154D and D198R), a double substitution (DR), or a deletion of part of the N-terminal domain (delta N). Each modified virus replicated as well as the parental virus in protoplasts, but was defective in cell-to-cell movement through inoculated leaves. The R154D, D198R and DR mutants were restricted essentially to single, initially infected cells. The delta N variant exhibited slow cell-to-cell movement in inoculated leaves, but was unable to move systemically due to a lack of entry into or replication in vascular-associated cells. Both cell-to-cell and systemic movement defects of each mutant were rescued in transgenic plants expressing wild-type TEV CP. Cell-to-cell movement, but not systemic movement, of the DR mutant was rescued partially in transgenic plants expressing TEV CP lacking the C-terminal domain, and in plants expressing CP from the heterologous potyvirus, potato virus Y. Despite comparable levels of accumulation of parental virus and each mutant in symptomatic tissue of TEV CP-expressing transgenic plants, virions were detected only in parental virus- and delta N mutant-infected plants, as revealed using three independent assays. These data suggest that the potyvirus CP possesses distinct, separable activities required for virion assembly, cell-to-cell movement and long-distance transport.     

Phloem unloading of potato virus X movement proteins is regulated by virus and host factors

To determine the requirements for viral proteins exiting the phloem, transgenic plants expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) fused to the Potato virus X (PVX) triple gene block (TGB)p1 and coat protein (CP) genes were prepared. The fused genes were transgenically expressed from the companion cell (CC)-specific Commelina yellow mottle virus (CoYMV) promoter. Transgenic plants were selected for evidence of GFP fluorescence in CC and sieve elements (SE) and proteins were determined to be phloem mobile based on their ability to translocate across a graft union into nontransgenic scions. Petioles and leaves were analyzed to determine the requirements for phloem unloading of the fluorescence proteins. In petioles, fluorescence spread throughout the photosynthetic vascular cells (chlorenchyma) but did not move into the cortex, indicating a specific barrier to proteins exiting the vasculature. In leaves, fluorescence was mainly restricted to the veins. However, in virus-infected plants or leaves treated with a cocktail of proteasome inhibitors, fluorescence spread into leaf mesophyll cells. These data indicate that PVX contributes factors which enable specific unloading of cognate viral proteins and that proteolysis may play a role in limiting proteins in the phloem and surrounding chlorenchyma.     

The interaction between bamboo mosaic virus replication protein and coat protein is critical for virus movement in plant hosts

Bamboo mosaic virus (BaMV) is a positive-sense RNA virus belonging to the genus Potexvirus. Open reading frame 1 (ORF1) encodes the viral replication protein that consists of a capping enzyme domain, a helicase-like domain (HLD), and an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase domain from the N to C terminus. ORF5 encodes the viral coat protein (CP) required for genome encapsidation and the virus movement in plants. In this study, application of a yeast-two hybrid assay detected an interaction between the viral HLD and CP. However, the interaction did not affect the NTPase activity of the HLD. To identify the critical amino acids of CP interacting with the HLD, a random mutational library of CP was created using error-prone PCR, and the mutations adversely affecting the interaction were screened by a bacterial two-hybrid system. As a result, the mutations A209G and N210S in CP were found to weaken the interaction. To determine the significance of the interaction, the mutations were introduced into a BaMV infectious clone, and the mutational effects on viral replication, movement, and genome encapsidation were investigated. There was no effect on accumulations of BaMV CP and genomic RNAs within protoplasts; however, the virus cell-to-cell movement in plants was restricted. Sequence alignment revealed that A209 of BaMV CP is conserved in many potexviruses. Mutation of the corresponding residue in Foxtail mosaic virus CP also reduced the viral HLD-CP interaction and restricted the virus movement, suggesting that interaction between CP and a widely conserved HLD in the potexviral replication protein is crucial for viral trafficking through plasmodesmata.