Role of capsid proteins

Area of Science:

• Plant Virology
• Molecular Plant-Pathology
• Viral Protein Function

Background:

• Coat proteins (CPs) are essential components of all plant viruses, mediating critical early (disassembly) and late (assembly) stages of the viral life cycle.
• Beyond their structural roles, CPs exhibit diverse functions throughout the viral infection process, influencing multiple host-pathogen interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the multifaceted roles of plant virus coat proteins (CPs) beyond their canonical functions in virus assembly and disassembly.
• To consolidate current knowledge on the diverse functions of CPs during various stages of the plant viral infection cycle.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of scientific publications on plant virus coat protein functions.
• Synthesis of findings from studies investigating CP involvement in viral RNA translation, genome targeting, and movement.
• Analysis of research on CP roles in viral symptomatology, virulence, host defense activation, and vector transmission.

Main Results:

• CPs play essential roles in viral RNA translation, genome targeting to replication sites, and cell-to-cell or systemic virus movement.
• CPs influence viral symptomatology and virulence, modulate host R gene-mediated defenses, and impact RNA silencing pathways.
• CPs are determinants of virus transmission specificity by vectors and can interfere with or suppress RNA silencing.

Conclusions:

• Plant virus coat proteins possess a wide array of functions that extend far beyond structural roles in assembly and disassembly.
• Understanding the diverse functions of CPs is critical for comprehending plant virus-host interactions and developing effective disease management strategies.
• The multifunctional nature of CPs highlights their importance as key regulators of the viral infection cycle and host responses.