Characteristics of tobacco rattle virus. I. Evidence that its two particles are functionally defective and mutually complementing

Functions of the two particles of tobacco rattle virus

Functions of long and short particles of five different tobacco rattle virus (TRV) systems were studied by complementation experiments with the corresponding long and short species of ribonucleic acid (RNA). The progeny of long RNA species alone was proteinless or "free" infectious long RNA, whereas short RNA species alone did not replicate by themselves but appeared to be dependent on long RNA for replication. When both types of RNA derived from the same isolate were inoculated together, particulate virus with long and short particles was produced in more than 50% of the resulting primary infections. These virus systems obtained by homologous complementation resembled the parent isolates in all their characteristics. In addition, heterologous complementation tests were performed with long and short RNA, each derived from another isolate. Heterologous interaction could be observed in only 2 out of 20 possible combinations. As a result, two "mixed" TRV systems with respect to their particle length distributions were obtained, since their long and short particles resembled the ones from the other isolate. The symptoms produced by these mixed viruses were determined by the corresponding long RNA and appeared not to be influenced by the heterologous short one. However, the protein coat of both particles of the "mixed" viruses was specified by the corresponding noninfectious short RNA. Therefore, TRV is a system of at least two functionally defective and mutually complementing components which appear to be specialized in early and late functions.

Construction of tobacco mosaic virus subgenomic replicons that are replicated and spread systemically in tobacco plants

Two tobacco mosaic virus (TMV)-derived replicons, created by deletion of most of the 126/183-kDa open reading frame (ORF), replicated and systemically invaded tobacco plants when supported by wild type TMV. One RNA replicon contained an internal direct repeat of 476 nucleotides from the 3' end of the 30-kDa ORF. Although this RNA was replicated, most of the progeny were heterogeneous in size and smaller than the original transcript. A second TMV-derived RNA replicon, without any internally repeated sequences and containing a deletion of the 5' portion of the 30-kDa ORF as well as most of the 126/183-kDa ORF, was created and coinoculated with wild type TMV as helper. This RNA also was replicated efficiently and systemically invaded tobacco plants. An examination of the sequences of cDNA clones obtained after PCR amplification of the progeny population of this RNA replicon demonstrated that the observed size heterogeneity was due to deletions and insertions adjacent to the artificially created deletion junction. These data demonstrate that a TMV infection is capable of supporting an artificially created RNA replicon, similar to defective interfering RNAs or satellites. However, these dependent RNAs were replicated without noticeably interfering with wild type TMV symptoms or replication.

The nucleotide sequence of tobacco rattle virus RNA-2 (CAM strain)

The nucleotide sequence of the smaller genomic strand (RNA-2) of the bipartite tobacco rattle virus (CAM strain) has been determined. RNA-2 is capped at the 5' terminus and contains 1799 nucleotide residues. There is a single 223 codon long open reading frame extending from nucleotide 574 to 1242 which designates a protein of Mr 23,654. The derived amino acid composition, in percent, matches that previously determined for the virus capsid protein. The long open reading frame is flanked by 5' and 3' untranslated regions of 573 and 554 nucleotides, respectively. The 5' leader sequence contains two different sets of direct repeats, one of 119 nucleotides and the other of 76. It also contains 13 apparently unused AUG codons, four of which lie in the same frame as the capsid protein cistron. The 3' terminal sequence of RNA-2 is identical to that of the larger genomic strand (RNA-1) for 459 nucleotides.

Genome reconstitution and nucleic acid hybridization as methods of identifying particle-deficient isolates of tobacco rattle virus in potato plants with stem-mottle disease

NM isolates of tobacco rattle virus (TRV) are perpetuated by the larger genome nucleic acid (RNA-1) but do not produce nucleoprotein particles; their identification therefore presents special problems. Assays of the infectivity of nucleic acid extracts, and of previously frozen sap, suggested that such isolates occur in potato plants with stem-mottle disease. These isolates were identified by two tests. In the first, TRV nucleoprotein particles were produced in plants inoculated with a mixture of nucleic acid from diseased potato leaves and non-infective RNA-2 of an authentic culture of TRV, showing that the TRV genome had been reconstituted. In the second test, TRV RNA was identified in nucleic acid from diseased potato leaves by hybridization to 3H-labelled DNA complementary in nucleotide sequence to RNA-1 of the PRN strain of TRV. This cDNA test consistently identified TRV in stem-mottle affected potato plants grown in the glasshouse or in field crops. Although particle-producing isolates of TRV have been reported in potato, stem-mottle disease is apparently usually caused by infection with NM isolates.