Identification of amino acids in auxiliary replicase protein p27 critical for its RNA-binding activity and the assembly of the replicase complex in Red clover necrotic mosaic virus

In addition to virion formation, the coat protein (CP) of Alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV) is involved in the regulation of replication and translation of viral RNAs, and in cell-to-cell and systemic movement of the virus. An intriguing feature of the AMV CP is its nuclear and nucleolar accumulation. Here, we identify an N-terminal lysine-rich nucleolar localization signal (NoLS) in the AMV CP required to both enter the nucleus and accumulate in the nucleolus of infected cells, and a C-terminal leucine-rich domain which might function as a nuclear export signal. Moreover, we demonstrate that AMV CP interacts with importin-α, a component of the classical nuclear import pathway. A mutant AMV RNA 3 unable to target the nucleolus exhibited reduced plus-strand RNA synthesis and cell-to-cell spread. Moreover, virion formation and systemic movement were completely abolished in plants infected with this mutant. In vitro analysis demonstrated that specific lysine residues within the NoLS are also involved in modulating CP-RNA binding and CP dimerization, suggesting that the NoLS represents a multifunctional domain within the AMV CP. The observation that nuclear and nucleolar import signals mask RNA-binding properties of AMV CP, essential for viral replication and translation, supports a model in which viral expression is carefully modulated by a cytoplasmic/nuclear balance of CP accumulation.

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Multiple Activities Associated with the Capsid Protein of Satellite Panicum Mosaic Virus Are Controlled Separately by the N- and C-Terminal Regions

Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions ◽

10.1094/mpmi-21-5-0613 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 21 (5) ◽

pp. 613-621 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Dong Qi ◽

Karen-Beth G. Scholthof

Keyword(s):

Mosaic Virus ◽

Capsid Protein ◽

Rna Binding ◽

Binding Activity ◽

Multiple Roles ◽

Virion Assembly ◽

Biologically Relevant ◽

C Terminus ◽

Rna Accumulation ◽

Interfering Rna

The 17-kDa capsid protein (CP) of satellite panicum mosaic virus (SPMV) contains a distinct N-terminal arginine-rich motif (N-ARM) which is required for SPMV virion assembly and the activity of SPMV CP to promote systemic accumulation of its cognate RNA. The present study indicates that SPMV CP also is involved in SPMV RNA accumulation in inoculated leaves and that this activity is also dependent on a functional N-ARM. In addition, deletions of a C-terminal region abolish virion assembly and impair SPMV RNA accumulation in both inoculated and systemic leaves. Unlike the N-ARM mutations, substantial deletions of the SPMV CP C-terminus do not affect SPMV RNA binding activity. Interestingly, SPMV CP also binds Panicum mosaic virus genomic RNA via N-ARM-mediated CP:RNA interactions. Mutations of the N-ARM and the C-terminal regions significantly reduce SPMV CP titers and result in symptom attenuation. In contrast, virions were not associated per se with symptom exacerbation or successful SPMV RNA accumulation. The results show the existence of a correlation between N- and C-termini-mediated contributions for CP accumulation, symptom induction, defective-interfering RNA accumulation, and temperature sensitivity of SPMV RNA maintenance. The data provide further evidence that SPMV CP has multiple roles during infection, which might involve the formation of nonvirion CP:RNA complexes whose stability is controlled in a biologically relevant manner by the N- and C-termini of the CP.

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Post-transcriptional Regulation of Host Genes Involved with Symptom Expression in Potyviral Infections

10.32747/2012.7593391.bard ◽

2012 ◽

Author(s):

Steven A. Whitham ◽

Amit Gal-On ◽

Victor Gaba

Keyword(s):

Amino Acid ◽

Mosaic Virus ◽

Target Genes ◽

Rna Binding ◽

Binding Activity ◽

Yellow Mosaic Virus ◽

Virus Infectivity ◽

Symptom Expression ◽

Disease Symptoms ◽

Host Genes

Understanding how RNA viruses cause disease symptoms in their hosts is expected to provide information that can be exploited to enhance modern agriculture. The helper component-proteinase (HC-Pro) protein of potyviruses has been implicated in symptom development. Previously, we demonstrated that symptom expression is associated with binding of duplex small-interfering-RNA (duplex-siRNA) to a highly conserved FRNK amino acid motif in the HC-Pro of Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV). This binding activity also alters host microRNA (miRNA) profiles. In Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV), which infects the model plant Arabidopsis, mutation of the FRNK motif to FINK was lethal providing further indication of the importance of this motif to HC-Pro function. In this continuation project, our goal was to further investigate how ZYMV and TuMV cause the mis-expression of genes in cucurbits and Arabidopsis, respectively, and to correlate altered gene expression with disease symptoms. Objective 1 was to examine the roles of aromatic and positively charged residues F164RNH and K215RLF adjacent to FR180NK in small RNA binding. Objective 2 was to determine the target genes of the miRNAs which change during HC-Pro expression in infected tissues and transgenic cucumber. Objective 3 was to characterize RNA silencing mechanisms underlying differential expression of host genes. Objective 4 was to analyze the function of miRNA target genes and differentially expressed genes in potyvirus-infected tissues. We found that the charged K/R amino acid residues in the FKNH and KRLF motifs are essential for virus viability. Replacement of K to I in FKNH disrupted duplex-siRNA binding and virus infectivity, while in KRLF mutants duplex-siRNA binding was maintained and virus infectivity was limited: symptomless following a recovery phenomenon. These findings expanded the duplex-siRNA binding activity of HC-Pro to include the adjacent FRNK and FRNH sites. ZYMV causes many squash miRNAs to hyper-accumulate such as miR166, miR390, mir168, and many others. Screening of mir target genes showed that only INCURVATA-4 and PHAVOLUTA were significantly upregulated following ZYMVFRNK infection. Supporting this finding, we found similar developmental symptoms in transgenic Arabidopsis overexpressing P1-HC-Pro of a range of potyviruses to those observed in miR166 mutants. We characterized increased transcription of AGO1 in response to infection with both ZYMV strains. Differences in viral siRNA profiles and accumulation between mild and severe virus infections were characterized by Illumina sequencing, probably due to the differences in HC-Pro binding activity. We determined that the TuMV FINK mutant could accumulate and cause symptoms in dcl2 dcl4 or dcl2 dcl3 dcl4 mutants similar to TuMV FRNK in wild type Arabidopsis plants. These dcl mutant plants are defective in antiviral defenses, and the results show that factors other than HC-ProFRNK motif can induce symptoms in virus-infected plants. As a result of this work, we have a better understanding of the FRNK and FKNH amino acid motifs of HC-Pro and their contributions to the duplex-siRNA binding functions. We have identified plant genes that potentially contribute to infectivity and symptoms of virus infected plants when they are mis-expressed during potyviral infections. The results establish that there are multiple underlying molecular mechanisms that lead viral pathogenicity, some dependent on HC-Pro. The potential benefits include the development of novel strategies for controlling diseases caused by viruses, methods to ensure stable expression of transgenes in genetically improved crops, and improved potyvirus vectors for expression of proteins or peptides in plants.

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Residues R192 and K225 in RNA-binding pocket of tobacco vein banding mosaic virus CP control virus cell-to-cell movement and replication

Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions ◽

10.1094/mpmi-09-20-0265-r ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Zhi-Yong Yan ◽

Xiao-Jie Xu ◽

Le Fang ◽

De-Jie Cheng ◽

Yan-Ping Tian ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mosaic Virus ◽

Rna Binding ◽

Cell Movement ◽

Binding Pocket ◽

Binding Activity ◽

Watermelon Mosaic Virus ◽

Wild Type ◽

Three Dimensional Model ◽

Mobility Shift ◽

Virus Particles

Potyviruses move to neighboring cells in the form of virus particles or coat protein (CP)-containing ribonucleoprotein complex. However, the precise roles of RNA binding residues in potyviral CP in viral cell-to-cell movement remain to be elucidated. In this study, we predicted the three-dimensional model of tobacco vein banding mosaic potyvirus (TVBMV)-encoded CP and found nine residues presumably located in the CP RNA-binding pocket. Substitutions of the two basic residues at positions of 192 and 225 (R192 and K225) either with alanine, cysteine, or glutamic acid abolished TVBMV cell-to-cell and systemic movement in Nicotiana benthamiana plants. These substitutions also reduced the replication of the mutant viruses. Results from the electrophoretic mobility shift assay showed that the RNA binding activity of mutant CPs derived from R192 or K225 substitutions was significantly lower than that of wild-type CP. Analysis of purified virus particles showed that mutant viruses with R192 or K225 substitutions formed RNA-free virus-like particles. Mutations of R192 and K225 did not change the CP plasmodesmata localization. The wild-type TVBMV CP could rescue the deficient cell-to-cell movement of mutant viruses. Moreover, deletion of any of the other seven residues also abolished TVBMV cell-to-cell movement and reduced the CP-RNA binding activity. The corresponding nine residues in watermelon mosaic virus CP were also found to play essential roles in virus cell-to-cell movement. In conclusion, residues R192 and K225 in the CP RNA-binding pocket are critical for viral RNA binding and affect both virus replication and cell-to-cell movement.

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