Cucumovirus- and bromovirus-encoded movement functions potentiate cell-to-cell movement of tobamo- and potexviruses

The use of functionally deficient viral vectors as visualization tools to reveal complementation patterns between plant viruses and the silencing suppressor p19

Plant virus transport complementation is classically observed as a helper virus allowing another virus to regain cell-to-cell or systemic movement through a restrictive host plant (Malyshenko et al., 1989). The complementation effect is usually studied by observing virus infection after co-infection or super-inoculation of the helper virus. We herein demonstrate the utility of functionally deficient viral vectors as tools to determine the contribution of individual viral genes to plant viral transport complementation. Two functionally deficient viral vectors were engineered that derive from foxtail mosaic potexvirus and sunn-hemp mosaic tobamovirus, namely FECT (FoMV Eliminate CP and TGB, (Liu and Kearney, 2010)) and SHEC (SHMV Eliminate CP gene, (Liu and Kearney, 2010)), respectively. FECT had all the ORFs removed except for the replicase and thus is defective for both long-distance and cell-to-cell movement. SHEC lacked only the coat protein ORF and retained the movement protein (MP) and is functional for cell-to-cell movement. When FECT and SHEC vectors were inoculated with the silencing suppressor p19 in different zones of the same leaf, FECT was enabled to express its reporter gene beyond the original inoculation zone. When FECT, SHEC, and p19 were individually inoculated in separate zones, both FECT and SHEC reporter gene expression was observed within the p19 zone, distant from the original virus inoculation points. These observations indicate that SHEC movement protein could create a trafficking network to allow viral RNAs of FECT and SHEC and p19/p19 transcript to move from cell to cell. This system provides a tool to visually monitor the movement of viruses and silencing suppressors as well as to identify the effects of individual viral components on virus movement.

Cytorhabdovirus P3 genes encode 30K-like cell-to-cell movement proteins

Plant viruses encode movement proteins (MP) to facilitate cell-to-cell transport through plasmodesmata. In this study, using trans-complementation of a movement-defective turnip vein-clearing tobamovirus (TVCV) replicon, we show for the first time for cytorhabdoviruses (lettuce necrotic yellows virus (LNYV) and alfalfa dwarf virus (ADV)) that their P3 proteins function as MP similar to the TVCV P30 protein. All three MP localized to plasmodesmata when ectopically expressed. In addition, we show that these MP belong to the 30K superfamily since movement was inhibited by mutation of an aspartic acid residue in the critical 30K-specific LxD/N50-70G motif. We also report that Nicotiana benthamiana microtubule-associated VOZ1-like transcriptional activator interacts with LNYV P3 and TVCV P30 but not with ADV P3 or any of the MP point mutants. This host protein, which is known to interact with P3 of sonchus yellow net nucleorhabdovirus, may be involved in aiding the cell-to-cell movement of LNYV and TVCV.

A versatile complementation assay for cell-to-cell and long distance movements by cucumber mosaic virus based agro-infiltration

Microinjection, bombardment or tobamovirus and potexvirus based assay has been developed to identify the putative movement protein (MP) or to characterize plasmodesma-mediated macromolecular transport. In this study, we developed a versatile complementation assay for the cell-to-cell and long distance movements of macromolecules by agro-infiltration based on the infectious clones of cucumber mosaic virus (CMV). The movement-deficient CMV reporter was constructed by replacing the MP on RNA 3 with ER targeted GFP. The ectopic expression of CMV MP was able to efficiently move the RNA3-MP::erGFP reporter from the original cell to neighboring cells, whereas CMV MP-M5 mutant was unable to initiate the movement. Importantly, the presence of CMV RNA1 and RNA2 can dramatically amplify the movement signals once the RNA3-MP::erGFP reporter moves out of the original cell. The appropriate observation time for this movement complementation assay was at 48-72 hours post infiltration (hpi), whereas the optimal incubation temperature was between 25 and 28 °C. The ectopic co-expression of MPs from other virus genera, NSm from tomato spotted wilt tospovirus (TSWV) or NSvc4 from rice stripe tenuivirus (RSV), could also facilitate the movement of the RNA3::erGFP reporter from the original cell into other cells. The chimeric mutant virus created by substituting the MP of CMV RNA3 with NSm from TSWV or NSvc4 from RSV move systemically in Nicotiana benthamiana plants by agro-infiltration. This agro-infiltration complementation assay is simple, efficient and reliable. Our approach provides an alternative and powerful tool with great potentials in identifying putative movement protein and characterizing macromolecular trafficking.

Recent progress in research on cell-to-cell movement of rice viruses

To adapt to plants as hosts, plant viruses have evolutionally needed the capacity to modify the host plasmodesmata (PD) that connect adjacent cells. Plant viruses have acquired one or more genes that encode movement proteins (MPs), which facilitate the cell-to-cell movement of infectious virus entities through PD to adjacent cells. Because of the diversity in their genome organization and in their coding sequences, rice viruses may each have a distinct cell-to-cell movement strategy. The complexity of their unusual genome organizations and replication strategies has so far hampered reverse genetic research on their genome in efforts to investigate virally encoded proteins that are involved in viral movement. However, the MP of a particular virus can complement defects in cell-to-cell movement of other distantly related or even unrelated viruses. Trans-complementation experiments using a combination of a movement-defective virus and viral proteins of interest to identify MPs of several rice viruses have recently been successful. In this article, we reviewed recent research that has advanced our understanding of cell-to-cell movement of rice viruses.

[Plant-infecting reoviruses]

The family Reoviridae separates two subfamilies and consists of 15 genera. Fourteen viruses in three genera (Phytoreovirus, Oryzavirus, and Fijivirus) infect plants. The outbreaks of the plant-infecting reoviruses cause sometime the serious yield loss of rice and maize, and are a menace to safe and efficient food production in the Southeast Asia.　The plant-infecting reoviruses are double-shelled icosahedral particles, from 50 to 80nm in diameter, and include from 10 to 12 segmented double-stranded genomic RNAs depending on the viruses. These viruses are transmitted in a persistent manner by the vector insects and replicated in both plants and in their vectors. This review provides a brief overview of the plant-infecting reoviruses and their recent research progresses including the strategy for viral controls using transgenic rice plants.

The triple gene block movement proteins of a grape virus in the genus Foveavirus confer limited cell-to-cell spread of a mutant Potato virus X

Grapevine rupestris stem pitting-associated virus (GRSPaV) is a member of the genus Foveavirus in the family Betaflexiviridae. The genome of GRSPaV encodes five proteins, among which are three movement proteins designated the triple gene block (TGB) proteins. The TGB proteins of GRSPaV are highly similar to their counterparts in Potato virus X (PVX), as reflected in size, modular structure, conservation of critical amino acid sequence motifs, as well as similar cellular localization. Based on these similarities, we predicted that the TGB proteins of these two viruses would be interchangeable. To test this hypothesis, we replaced the entire or partial sequence of PVX TGB with the corresponding regions from GRSPaV, creating chimeric viruses that contain the PVX backbone and different sequences from GRSPaV TGB. These chimeric constructs were delivered into plants of Nicotiana benthamiana through agro-infiltration to test whether they were capable of cell-to-cell and systemic movement. To our surprise, viruses derived from pPVX.GFP(CH3) bearing GRSPaV TGB in place of PVX TGB lost the ability to move either cell-to-cell or systemically. Interestingly, another chimeric virus resulting from pPVX.GFP(HY2) containing four TGB genes (TGB1 from PVX and TGB1-3 from GRSPaV), exhibited limited cell-to-cell, but not systemic, movement. Our data question the notion that analogous movement proteins encoded by even distantly related viruses are functionally interchangeable and can be replaced by each other. These data suggest that other factors, besides the TGB proteins, may be required for successful intercellular and/or systemic movement of progeny viruses. This is the first experimental demonstration that the GRSPaV TGB function as movement proteins in the context of a chimeric virus and that four TGB genes were required to support the intercellular movement of the chimeric virus.

Cellular pathways for viral transport through plasmodesmata

Plant viruses use plasmodesmata (PD) to spread infection between cells and systemically. Dependent on viral species, movement through PD can occur in virion or non-virion form, and requires different mechanisms for targeting and modification of the pore. These mechanisms are supported by viral movement proteins and by other virus-encoded factors that interact among themselves and with plant cellular components to facilitate virus movement in a coordinated and regulated fashion.

Varied movement strategies employed by triple gene block-encoding viruses

Several RNA virus genera belonging to the Virgaviridae and Flexiviridae families encode proteins organized in a triple gene block (TGB) that facilitate cell-to-cell and long-distance movement. The TGB proteins have been traditionally classified as hordei-like or potex-like based on phylogenetic comparisons and differences in movement mechanisms of the Hordeivirus and Potexvirus spp. However, accumulating data from other model viruses suggests that a revised framework is needed to accommodate the profound differences in protein interactions occurring during infection and ancillary capsid protein requirements for movement. The goal of this article is to highlight common features of the TGB proteins and salient differences in movement properties exhibited by individual viruses encoding these proteins. We discuss common and divergent aspects of the TGB transport machinery, describe putative nucleoprotein movement complexes, highlight recent data on TGB protein interactions and topological properties, and review membrane associations occurring during subcellular targeting and cell-to-cell movement. We conclude that the existing models cannot be used to explain all TGB viruses, and we propose provisional Potexvirus, Hordeivirus, and Pomovirus models. We also suggest areas that might profit from future research on viruses harboring this intriguing arrangement of movement proteins.

Over-expression of putative transcriptional coactivator KELP interferes with Tomato mosaic virus cell-to-cell movement

Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) encodes a movement protein (MP) that is necessary for virus cell-to-cell movement. We have demonstrated previously that KELP, a putative transcriptional coactivator of Arabidopsis thaliana, and its orthologue from Brassica campestris can bind to ToMV MP in vitro. In this study, we examined the effects of the transient over-expression of KELP on ToMV infection and the intracellular localization of MP in Nicotiana benthamiana, an experimental host of the virus. In co-bombardment experiments, the over-expression of KELP inhibited virus cell-to-cell movement. The N-terminal half of KELP (KELPdC), which had been shown to bind to MP, was sufficient for inhibition. Furthermore, the over-expression of KELP and KELPdC, both of which were co-localized with ToMV MP, led to a reduction in the plasmodesmal association of MP. In the absence of MP expression, KELP was localized in the nucleus and the cytoplasm by the localization signal in its N-terminal half. It was also shown that ToMV amplified normally in protoplasts prepared from leaf tissue that expressed KELP transiently. These results indicate that over-expressed KELP interacts with MP in vivo and exerts an inhibitory effect on MP function for virus cell-to-cell movement, but not on virus amplification in individual cells.

Suppression of local RNA silencing is not sufficient to promote cell-to-cell movement of Turnip crinkle virus in Nicotiana benthamiana

The biological relationship between suppression of RNA silencing and virus movement poses an intriguing question in virus-plant interactions. Here, we have used a local RNA silencing assay, based on a movement-deficient Turnip crinkle virus TCV/GFPDeltaCP, to investigate the influence of silencing suppression by three different viral suppressors: the TCV 38K coat protein (CP), the 126K protein of Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), and P19 of Tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV) on cell-to-cell movement and long-distance spread of TCV/GFPDeltaCP. First, we found that TCV CP blocked the induction of local RNA silencing, but failed to support virus trafficking in silencing-suppressed transgenic plants, although it acted as a functional movement protein in non-transformed plants. Second, we demonstrated that the TMV 126K suppressor inhibited TCV/GFPDeltaCP-mediated RNA silencing, but did not facilitate intercellular spread of the chimaeric carmovirus. However, TMV and TMVDeltaCP prevented the initiation of RNA silencing by TCV/GFPDeltaCP and caused TCV/GFPDeltaCP to move between cells, although only TMV supported its long-distance spread. Third, TBSV P19 functioned as a movement protein for TCV/GFPDeltaCP and as a silencing suppressor in non-transformed and silencing-suppressed transgenic plants. We further identified three types of mutant P19 proteins that possessed no or varied functionality in silencing suppression and in the facilitation of carmovirus movement. These results suggest that, although suppression of local RNA silencing is essential for the maintenance of viral RNA, recovery of cell-to-cell movement and long-distance spread of movement-deficient carmoviruses is not a direct consequence of such silencing suppression.

Insertion in the coding region of the movement protein improves stability of the plasmid encoding a tomato mosaic virus-based expression vector

A major obstacle in the genetic manipulation of tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) is the instability of the plasmid containing the infectious full-length cDNA of the ToMV vector, which often prevents the subcloning of a foreign gene of interest into the vector. We found that an insertion of a 0.3-1.6-kbp DNA fragment in the movement protein (MP) coding region effectively attenuated bacterial toxicity of the plasmid and greatly increased plasmid yield. Accumulation of a modified ToMV containing a 0.3-kb insertion in the MP coding region was comparable to that of a modified ToMV without an insertion in tobacco BY-2 protoplasts, while an insertion more than 0.6 kb significantly reduced accumulation of the viral RNA. The modified ToMV vector containing a 0.3-kb insertion was easily manipulated to introduce a coding sequence for human interferon-gamma (HuIFN-gamma) and successfully utilized to produce HuIFN-gamma in both BY-2 protoplasts and transgenic BY-2 cells.

Transcomplementation and synergism in plants: implications for viral transgenes?

In plants, viral synergisms occur when one virus enhances infection by a distinct or unrelated virus. Such synergisms may be unidirectional or mutualistic but, in either case, synergism implies that protein(s) from one virus can enhance infection by another. A mechanistically related phenomenon is transcomplementation, in which a viral protein, usually expressed from a transgene, enhances or supports the infection of a virus from a distinct species. To gain an insight into the characteristics and limitations of these helper functions of individual viral genes, and to assess their effects on the plant-pathogen relationship, reports of successful synergism and transcomplementation were compiled from the peer-reviewed literature and combined with data from successful viral gene exchange experiments. Results from these experiments were tabulated to highlight the phylogenetic relationship between the helper and dependent viruses and, where possible, to identify the protein responsible for the altered infection process. The analysis of more than 150 publications, each containing one or more reports of successful exchanges, transcomplementation or synergism, revealed the following: (i) diverse viral traits can be enhanced by synergism and transcomplementation; these include the expansion of host range, acquisition of mechanical transmission, enhanced specific infectivity, enhanced cell-to-cell and long-distance movement, elevated or novel vector transmission, elevated viral titre and enhanced seed transmission; (ii) transcomplementation and synergism are mediated by many viral proteins, including inhibitors of gene silencing, replicases, coat proteins and movement proteins; (iii) although more frequent between closely related viruses, transcomplementation and synergism can occur between viruses that are phylogenetically highly divergent. As indicators of the interoperability of viral genes, these results are of general interest, but they can also be applied to the risk assessment of transgenic crops expressing viral proteins. In particular, they can contribute to the identification of potential hazards, and can be used to identify data gaps and limitations in predicting the likelihood of transgene-mediated transcomplementation.

Plasmodesmata transport of GFP alone or fused to potato virus X TGBp1 is diffusion driven

Plasmodesmata (Pd) provide a pathway for exchanging various macromolecules between neighboring plant cells. Researchers routinely characterize the mobility of the green-fluorescent protein (GFP) and GFP fusions through Pd by calculating the proportion of sites in bombarded leaves which show fluorescence in multiple cell clusters (% movement). Here, the Arrhenius equation was used to describe the temperature dependence of GFP and GFP-TGBpl (potato virus X triple gene block protein1) movement, using % movement values, and to calculate the activation energy for protein transport. The resulting low activation energy indicates GFP and GFP-TGBp1 movement are diffusion driven. Furthermore, GFP movement is inversely proportional to the leaf surface area of expanding leaves. The increase in leaf area results mainly from cell expansion during the sink-source transition. The increasing cell size results in lower Pd density, which decreases the probability that a GFP attains an open Pd by diffusion. The decline in GFP movement as leaf area expands indicates that, in addition to GFP diffusion through Pd, attaining an open Pd by undirected diffusion might be limiting for Pd transport. In summary, this report provides a new quantitative method for studying Pd conductivity.

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.

Pathogenicity of Pepper mild mottle virus Is Controlled by the RNA Silencing Suppression Activity of Its Replication Protein but Not the Viral Accumulation

ABSTRACT Pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) infects pepper plants, causing mosaic symptoms on the upper developing leaves. We investigated the relationship between a virus pathogenicity determinant domain and the appearance of mosaic symptoms. Genetically modified PMMoV mutants were constructed, which had a base substitution in the 130K replication protein gene causing an amino acid change or a truncation of the 3' terminal pseudoknot structure. Only one substitution mutant (at amino acid residue 349) failed to cause symptoms, although its accumulation was relatively high. Conversely, the pseudoknot mutants showed the lower accumulation, but they still caused mosaic symptoms as severe as the wild-type virus. Therefore, the level of virus accumulation in a plant does not necessarily correlate with the development of mosaic symptoms. The activity to suppress posttranscriptional gene silencing (PTGS) was impaired in the asymptomatic mutant. Consequently, pathogenicity causing mosaic symptoms should be controlled by combat between host PTGS and its suppression by the 130K replication protein rather than virus accumulation.

Movement of potexviruses requires species-specific interactions among the cognate triple gene block proteins, as revealed by a trans-complementation assay based on the bamboo mosaic virus satellite RNA-mediated expression system

The intra- and intercellular transport of potexviruses require interactions among viral RNA, coat protein and elements of the triple gene block proteins (TGBps). In this study, the requirement of bamboo mosaic virus (BaMV) TGBps for movement functions and the compatibilities with those of two potexviruses, Potato virus X (PVX) and Foxtail mosaic virus (FoMV), were examined using a satellite RNA-mediated trans-complementation assay system. Single or multiple TGBps of BaMV, PVX and FoMV were expressed from BaMV satellite RNA (satBaMV RNA) vectors to complement the functions of green fluorescent protein-tagged, movement-defective BaMV with mutation(s) in the matching gene(s). It was found that individual BaMV TGBps expressed from the satellite vector could function normally in trans, whereas bi-gene BaMV TGBp constructs in which the expression of TGBp3 might be impaired and individual TGBp genes from PVX or FoMV could not complement the movement functions of the defective helper viruses. Furthermore, alterations of the ratio among TGBps by ectopic expression of individual components of TGBps from satBaMV RNA vectors did not affect the cell-to-cell movement capabilities of wild-type BaMV significantly. The results indicate that species-specific interactions among movement proteins are obligatory for the cell-to-cell movement of BaMV and possibly other potexviruses.

The tubule-forming NSm protein from Tomato spotted wilt virus complements cell-to-cell and long-distance movement of Tobacco mosaic virus hybrids

A Florida isolate of Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) was able to complement cell-to-cell movement of a movement-defective Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) vector expressing the jellyfish green fluorescent protein (GFP). To test for complementation of movement in the absence of other TSWV proteins, the open reading frame for the NSm protein was expressed from TMV constructs encoding only the TMV replicase proteins. NSm was expressed from either the coat protein or movement protein subgenomic promoter, creating virus hybrids that moved cell to cell in inoculated leaves of tobacco, providing the first functional demonstration that NSm is the TSWV movement protein. Furthermore, these CP-deficient hybrids moved into upper leaves of Nicotiana benthamiana, demonstrating that NSm can support long-distance movement of viral RNAs. Tubules, characteristic of the NSm protein, were also formed in tobacco protoplasts infected with the TMV-TSWV hybrids. The C-terminus of the NSm protein was shown to be required for movement. TMV-TSWV hybrids expressing NSm and GFP moved within inoculated leaves. Our combination of single-cell and intact plant experiments to examine multiple functions of a heterologous viral protein provides a generalized strategy with wider application to other viruses also lacking a reverse genetic system.

Evidence for interaction between the 2a polymerase protein and the 3a movement protein of Cucumber mosaic virus

The genome of Cucumber mosaic virus consists of three single-stranded RNA molecules, RNAs 1, 2 and 3. RNAs 1 and 2 encode the 1a and 2a proteins, respectively, which are necessary for replication of the viral genome and have been implicated in movement of the viral RNAs in plants. The 3a movement protein (MP), encoded by RNA 3, is essential for transferring the RNA genomes from infected cells to adjacent cells across the plasmodesmata. Far-Western analysis demonstrated that bacterially expressed 2a polymerase protein directly interacted with the MP. Interaction was confirmed in a yeast two-hybrid assay, and co-immunoprecipitation analysis showed that the MP interacted only with the 2a polymerase protein. A yeast three-hybrid assay showed that the 1a–2a protein interaction relevant for replicase complex formation was not affected by the MP. Although the MP has no affinity for the 1a protein, it interacted indirectly with the 1a protein via the 2a polymerase protein. These results suggest that the replicase complex may be involved in movement through its interaction with the MP.

Plant virus transport: motions of functional equivalence

Plant virus cell-to-cell movement and subsequent systemic transport are governed by a series of mechanisms involving various virus and plant factors. Specialized virus encoded movement proteins (MPs) control the cell-to-cell transport of viral nucleoprotein complexes through plasmodesmata. MPs of different viruses have diverse properties and each interacts with specific host factors that also have a range of functions. Most viruses are then transported via the phloem as either nucleoprotein complexes or virions, with contributions from host and virus proteins. Some virus proteins contribute to the establishment and maintenance of systemic infection by inhibiting RNA silencing-mediated degradation of viral RNA. In spite of all the different movement strategies and the viral and host components, there are possible functional commonalities in virus-host interactions that govern viral spread through plants.

Reciprocal function of movement proteins and complementation of long-distance movement of Cymbidium mosaic virus RNA by Odontoglossum ringspot virus coat protein

Complementation of movement and coat proteins of the orchid-infecting potexvirus Cymbidium mosaic virus (CymMV) and tobamovirus Odontoglossum ringspot virus (ORSV) was investigated. Nicotiana benthamiana, which is susceptible to both CymMV and ORSV, was used as a model system. Four transgenic lines, each harbouring one of the movement protein (MP) or coat protein (CP) genes of CymMV or ORSV, were constructed. The MP of CymMV consists of three overlapping open reading frames, together called the triple-gene block (TGB). CymMV and ORSV mutants, each carrying an inactivated MP or CP, were generated from the respective biologically active full-length cDNA clones. Complementation was studied by infecting transgenic plants with in vitro transcripts generated from these mutants. The cell-to-cell movement of a movement-deficient CymMV was restored in transgenic plants carrying the ORSV MP transgene. Similarly, CymMV TGB1 transgenic plants were able to rescue the cell-to-cell movement of a movement-deficient ORSV mutant. ORSV CP transgenic plants supported systemic movement of a CymMV CP-deficient mutant. However, in these plants, neither encapsidation of CymMV RNA with ORSV CP nor CymMV CP expression was detected. Long-distance movement of an ORSV CP-deficient mutant was not supported by CymMV CP. The complementation of MPs and CPs of CymMV and ORSV facilitates movement of these viruses in plants, except for long-distance movement of ORSV RNA by CymMV CP.

A new cell-to-cell transport model for Potexviruses

In the last five years, we have gained significant insight into the role of the Potexvirus proteins in virus movement and RNA silencing. Potexviruses require three movement proteins, named triple gene block (TGB)p1, TGBp2, and TGBp3, and the viral coat protein (CP) to facilitate viral cell-to-cell and vascular transport. TGBp1 is a multifunctional protein that has RNA helicase activity, promotes translation of viral RNAs, increases plasmodesmal size exclusion limits, and suppresses RNA silencing. TGBp2 and TGBp3 are membrane-binding proteins. CP is required for genome encapsidation and forms ribonucleoprotein complexes along with TGBp1 and viral RNA. This review considers the functions of the TGB proteins, how they interact with each other and CP, and how silencing suppression might be linked to viral transport. A new model of the mechanism for Potexvirus transport is proposed.

Cell wall localization of Red clover necrotic mosaic virus movement protein is required for cell-to-cell movement

The Red clover necrotic mosaic virus movement protein (MP) is essential for cell-to-cell movement. Eight previously characterized alanine-scanning mutants of the MP were fused to the green fluorescent protein (GFP) and expressed from viral infectious transcripts. Inoculated plants were assayed for movement and intracellular accumulation of MP by confocal laser-scanning microscopy. A strict correlation was observed between the targeting to the cell wall (presumably the plasmodesmata) and cell-to-cell movement. Complementation of dysfunctional MP mutants with either wild-type MP or other null mutants in some cases rescued intracellular targeting and movement. The data suggest the presence of distinct domains in the MP for virus movement (near residues 27-31), complementarity (near residues 122 and 128), and intracellular localization (near residue 161). These data support a model of MP interacting cooperatively with itself to bind viral RNA, localize to and modify plasmodesmata and effect virus movement.