scholarly journals Identification of the Potential Virulence Factors and RNA Silencing Suppressors of Mulberry Mosaic Dwarf-Associated Geminivirus

Viruses ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 472 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiuling Yang ◽  
Yanxiang Ren ◽  
Shaoshuang Sun ◽  
Dongxue Wang ◽  
Fanfan Zhang ◽  
...  

Plant viruses encode virulence factors or RNA silencing suppressors to reprogram plant cellular processes or to fine-tune host RNA silencing-mediated defense responses. In a previous study, Mulberry mosaic dwarf-associated virus (MMDaV), a novel, highly divergent geminivirus, has been identified from a Chinese mulberry tree showing mosaic and dwarfing symptoms, but the functions of its encoded proteins are unknown. In this study, all seven proteins encoded by MMDaV were screened for potential virulence and RNA silencing suppressor activities. We found that V2, RepA, and Rep affect the pathogenicity of a heterologous potato virus X. We showed that V2 could inhibit local RNA silencing and long-distance movement of the RNA silencing signal, but not short-range spread of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) silencing signal in Nicotiana benthamiana 16c plants. In addition, V2 localized to both subnuclear foci and the cytoplasm. Deletion mutagenesis of V2 showed that the basic motif from amino acids 61 to 76 was crucial for V2 to form subnuclear foci and for suppression of RNA silencing. Although the V2 protein encoded by begomoviruses or a curtovirus has been shown to have silencing suppressor activity, this is the first identification of an RNA silencing suppressor from a woody plant-infecting geminivirus.

2007 ◽  
Vol 81 (19) ◽  
pp. 10379-10388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannes Vogler ◽  
Rashid Akbergenov ◽  
Padubidri V. Shivaprasad ◽  
Vy Dang ◽  
Monika Fasler ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Plant viruses act as triggers and targets of RNA silencing and have evolved proteins to suppress this plant defense response during infection. Although Tobacco mosaic tobamovirus (TMV) triggers the production of virus-specific small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), this does not lead to efficient silencing of TMV nor is a TMV-green fluorescent protein (GFP) hybrid able to induce silencing of a GFP-transgene in Nicotiana benthamiana, indicating that a TMV silencing suppressor is active and acts downstream of siRNA production. On the other hand, TMV-GFP is unable to spread into cells in which GFP silencing is established, suggesting that the viral silencing suppressor cannot revert silencing that is already established. Although previous evidence indicates that the tobamovirus silencing suppressing activity resides in the viral 126-kDa small replicase subunit, the mechanism of silencing suppression by this virus family is not known. Here, we connect the silencing suppressing activity of this protein with our previous finding that Oilseed rape mosaic tobamovirus infection leads to interference with HEN1-mediated methylation of siRNA and micro-RNA (miRNA). We demonstrate that TMV infection similarly leads to interference with HEN1-mediated methylation of small RNAs and that this interference and the formation of virus-induced disease symptoms are linked to the silencing suppressor activity of the 126-kDa protein. Moreover, we show that also Turnip crinkle virus interferes with the methylation of siRNA but, in contrast to tobamoviruses, not with the methylation of miRNA.


2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (11) ◽  
pp. 1475-1486 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuki Matsuo ◽  
Fawzia Novianti ◽  
Miki Takehara ◽  
Toshiyuki Fukuhara ◽  
Tsutomu Arie ◽  
...  

Plant activators, including acibenzolar-S-methyl (ASM), are chemical compounds that stimulate plant defense responses to pathogens. ASM treatment inhibits infection by a variety of plant viruses, however, the mechanisms of this broad-spectrum and strong effect remain poorly understood. We employed green fluorescent protein (GFP)-expressing viruses and Nicotiana benthamiana plants to identify the infection stages that are restricted by ASM. ASM suppressed infection by three viral species, plantago asiatica mosaic virus (PlAMV), potato virus X (PVX), and turnip mosaic virus (TuMV), in inoculated cells. Furthermore, ASM delayed the long-distance movement of PlAMV and PVX, and the cell-to-cell (short range) movement of TuMV. The ASM-mediated delay of long-distance movement of PlAMV was not due to the suppression of viral accumulation in the inoculated leaves, indicating that ASM restricts PlAMV infection in at least two independent steps. We used Arabidopsis thaliana mutants to show that the ASM-mediated restriction of PlAMV infection requires the NPR1 gene but was independent of the dicer-like genes essential for RNA silencing. Furthermore, experiments using protoplasts showed that ASM treatment inhibited PlAMV replication without cell death. Our approach, using GFP-expressing viruses, will be useful for the analysis of mechanisms underlying plant activator–mediated virus restriction.


Proceedings ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 26
Author(s):  
Ornela Chase ◽  
Giannina Bambaren ◽  
Juan José López-Moya

In most eukaryotes, RNA silencing is a key element in the regulation of gene expression and defense against pathogens. Plants have developed a defensive barrier against exogenous microorganisms, such as plant-infecting viruses, by specifically targeting and degrading the viral RNAs and thus limiting the negative effects of the diseases caused by them. On the other hand, plant viruses encode for suppressor proteins that repress the host-silencing machinery, hence allowing viral replication and infection establishment. Our current project focuses on the characterization of gene products contributing to the RNA silencing suppressor (RSS) function of Sweet potato virus 2 (SPV2), genus Potyvirus, family Potyviridae. SPV2 infects sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas, family Convolvulaceae), one of the most important staple food crops worldwide. Infections by potyvirids result in the high yield losses of sweet potatoes, especially from coinfection with unrelated viruses, and our final goal is to develop efficient control strategies. Our preliminary results analyzing the P1 and HCPro proteases of SPV2, transiently expressed in N. benthamiana together with a reporter GFP construct, revealed that HCPro constitutes a strong RSS. This is a novel finding, and we are currently characterizing the functions of other gene products.


FEBS Letters ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 583 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian Ye ◽  
Jing Qu ◽  
Jian-Feng Zhang ◽  
Yun-Feng Geng ◽  
Rong-Xiang Fang

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