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Cellular basis of potato spindle tuber viroid systemic movement
1Department of Botany, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078, USA.
Virology
|January 9, 2001
Summary
Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) moves systemically through plant phloem tissues, reaching sink leaves and floral sepals but avoiding meristems and reproductive organs. This RNA trafficking relies on plant cellular mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Plant Pathology
- Molecular Biology
- RNA Biology
Background:
- Viroids are small, pathogenic, non-translatable RNAs that replicate autonomously.
- Systemic trafficking of viroids within host plants is crucial for disease development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the systemic trafficking patterns of Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) in tomato and Nicotiana benthamiana.
- To identify the plant tissues and developmental factors influencing PSTVd movement.
Main Methods:
- In situ hybridization was employed to visualize PSTVd distribution within infected plant tissues.
- Analysis focused on stem-inoculated plants to track long-distance transport.
Main Results:
- PSTVd replicated and trafficked to sink leaves, but not source leaves or shoot apical meristems.
- In flowers, PSTVd was detected in sepals but not in petals, stamens, or the ovary.
- The replicative form of PSTVd was primarily found within the phloem tissues.
Conclusions:
- PSTVd exhibits long-distance trafficking within the plant phloem, likely supported by phloem-specific replication.
- PSTVd movement is regulated by plant developmental cues and cellular factors.
- Viroids serve as valuable models for studying RNA trafficking mechanisms.