The Polerovirus silencing suppressor P0 targets ARGONAUTE proteins for degradation

Plant and animal viruses encode suppressor proteins of an adaptive immunity mechanism in which viral double-stranded RNA is processed into 21-25 nt short interfering (si)RNAs. The siRNAs guide ARGONAUTE (AGO) proteins so that they target viral RNA. Most viral suppressors bind long dsRNA or siRNAs and thereby prevent production of siRNA or binding of siRNA to AGO. The one exception is the 2b suppressor of Cucumoviruses that binds to and inhibits AGO1. Here we describe a novel suppressor mechanism in which a Polerovirus-encoded F box protein (P0) targets the PAZ motif and its adjacent upstream sequence in AGO1 and mediates its degradation. F box proteins are components of E3 ubiquitin ligase complexes that add polyubiquitin tracts on selected lysine residues and thereby mark a protein for proteasome-mediated degradation. With P0, however, the targeted degradation of AGO is insensitive to inhibition of the proteasome, indicating that the proteasome is not involved. We also show that P0 does not block a mobile signal of silencing, indicating that the signal molecule does not have AGO protein components. The ability of P0 to block silencing without affecting signal movement may contribute to the phloem restriction of viruses in the Polerovirus group.