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Genome packaging by spherical plant RNA viruses
1Department of Plant Pathology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California 92521-0122, USA. arao@ucr.edu
Annual Review of Phytopathology
|February 17, 2006
Summary
Plant RNA viruses selectively package their genomes into virions, despite cellular RNA presence. Research explores mechanisms, including capsid protein interactions and replicase involvement, to understand this selective viral RNA packaging.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Molecular Biology
- Plant Pathology
Background:
- Positive-strand RNA viruses replicate in the cytoplasm, creating opportunities for cellular RNA copackaging.
- Infectious virions predominantly contain viral RNA, indicating sophisticated genome selection mechanisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review factors limiting progress in understanding plant RNA virus genome packaging.
- To evaluate recent technical breakthroughs for unraveling selective RNA packaging mechanisms.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on viral RNA packaging.
- Comparison of in vitro and in vivo experimental systems.
- Analysis of capsid protein (CP) and RNA signal interactions.
Main Results:
- Selective viral RNA packaging relies on interactions between structural capsid proteins (CP) and specific RNA signals.
- Mechanisms beyond CP and RNA sequences, such as replicase proteins, may enhance packaging selectivity.
- In vivo systems offer a significant breakthrough for studying these processes.
Conclusions:
- Understanding plant RNA virus genome packaging is crucial for controlling economically important viruses.
- Further research using advanced in vivo and in vitro systems is needed to fully elucidate packaging mechanisms.