Expression of the crucifer-infecting TMV-Cg movement protein in tobacco plants complements in trans a TMV-U1 trafficking-deficient mutant

Expression of the crucifer-infecting TMV-Cg movement protein in tobacco plants complements in trans a TMV-U1 trafficking-deficient mutant

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Tobamovirus movement proteins play a determinant role in the establishment of infections in plants, allowing the local movement of viral RNA genome through plasmodesmatas.We expressed the movement protein (MP) of the crucifer- and garlic-infecting Tobacco Mosaic Virus strain Cg (TMV-Cg) in both resistant revolution de la fleur Xanthi NN and sensitive Xanthi nn Nicotiana tabacum plants.MP-Cg function was assayed by inoculating transgenic plants with a trafficking-deficient mutant of TMV strain U1.Following infection, local necrotic lesions were developed in resistant transgenic plants, and a systemic infection was produced in sensitive tobaccos.Thus, movement function of the mutant virus was complemented in trans by MP-Cg expressed in transgenic plants, causing the same symptoms as wild-type strain.

We demonstrated that the function of MP-U1 could be replaced efficiently by MP-Cg, even though these proteins share only 36% of asi178mc identity.Similar hydrophobic patterns of MP-Cg and MP-U1 suggests structure and function conservations of both proteins.This work is an example of how two tobamoviruses differing in their host range help to understand viral movement mechanism during the infection.