Tomato bushy stunt virus: a resilient model system to study virus-plant interactions

SUMMARY Taxonomy: Tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV) (Fig. 1) is the type species of the plant-infecting Tombusvirus genus in the family Tombusviridae. Physical properties: TBSV virions are non-enveloped icosahedral T = 3 particles assembled from 180 coat protein subunits (42 kDa) whose arrangement causes a granular appearance on the surface structure. The particles are approximately 33 nm in diameter and composed of 17% ribonucleic acid and 83% protein. Encapsidated within the virion is the TBSV genome that consists of a positive-sense single-stranded RNA of approximately 4.8 kb, which lacks the 5'-cap or 3'-poly(A) tail typical for eukaryotic mRNAs.

In nature, TBSV has a fairly restricted host range, mostly encompassing a few dicotyledonous species in separate families, and affected agricultural crops comprise primarily vegetables. The experimental host range is broad, with over 120 plant species in more than 20 different families reported to be susceptible although in most plants the infection often remains localized around the site of entry. The differences between hosts with regards to requirements for cell-to-cell and long-distance movement have led to the development of TBSV as an attractive model system to obtain general insights into RNA transport through plants.

SYMPTOMS induced by TBSV are largely dependent on the host genotype; they can vary from necrotic and chlorotic lesions, to a systemic mild or severe mosaic, or they may culminate in a lethal necrosis. The original TBSV isolates from tomato plants caused a mottle, crinkle and downward curling of leaves with the youngest leaves exhibiting tip necrosis upon systemic infection. Tomato fruit yield can be greatly reduced by virus infection. Plants may be stunted and a proliferation of lateral shoots leads to a bushy appearance of the infected tomato plants, hence the nomenclature of the pathogen. Useful sites: http://image.fs.uidaho.edu/vide/descr825.htm; http://www.ictvdb.rothamsted.ac.uk/ICTVdB/74010001.htm (general information); http://mmtsb.scripps.edu/viper/info_page.php?vipPDB=2tbv (structural information).