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Genome activation by raspberry bushy dwarf virus coat protein
Stuart A MacFarlane1, Wendy J McGavin1
1Plant Pathology Programme, Scottish Crop Research Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee DD2 5DA, UK.
The Journal of General Virology
|February 17, 2009
Summary
Raspberry bushy dwarf virus (RBDV) replication is significantly enhanced by its coat protein (CP), a process known as genome activation. This activation mechanism is crucial for effective viral infection in plants.
Area of Science:
- Plant virology
- Molecular biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Raspberry bushy dwarf virus (RBDV) is a plant pathogen with a positive-sense RNA genome.
- Understanding viral replication mechanisms is key to controlling plant diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of the RBDV coat protein (CP) in viral replication.
- To characterize the genome activation mechanism in RBDV.
Main Methods:
- Construction of infectious cDNA clones for RBDV RNA transcripts and Agrobacterium-mediated delivery.
- Inoculation of whole plants and protoplasts with viral RNA and DNA constructs.
- Mutational analysis of the RBDV CP N-terminus.
Main Results:
- Infectious RNA transcripts of RBDV RNA1 and RNA2 resulted in low infection levels, significantly increased by the addition of RNA3 encoding the CP.
- Agroinfiltration of RNA1 and RNA2 constructs did not cause infection, but inclusion of the CP construct led to high infection levels.
- The N-terminal 15 and 48 amino acids of the RBDV CP were not essential for genome activation.
Conclusions:
- The RBDV coat protein (CP) plays a critical role in stimulating viral replication, a phenomenon termed genome activation.
- This genome activation mechanism, dependent on the CP, is conserved among related viruses like ilarviruses and alfalfa mosaic virus.
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