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Protein Membrane Overlay Assay: A Protocol to Test Interaction Between Soluble and Insoluble Proteins in vitro
Published on: August 14, 2011
How do pectin methylesterases and their inhibitors affect the spreading of tobamovirus?
Vincenzo Lionetti1, Alessandro Raiola, Felice Cervone
1a Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie 'C. Darwin' ; 'Sapienza' Università di Roma ; Roma , Italy.
Abstract:
After replication in the cytoplasm, viruses spread from the infected cell into the neighboring cells through plasmodesmata, membranous channels embedded by the cell wall. As obligate parasites, viruses have acquired the ability to utilize host factors that unwillingly cooperate for the viral infection process. For example, the viral movement proteins (MP) interacts with the host pectin methylesterase (PME) and both proteins cooperate to sustain the viral spread. However, how and where PMEs interact with MPs and how the PME/MP complexes favor the viral translocation is not well understood. Recently, we demonstrated that the overexpression of PME inhibitors (PMEIs) in tobacco and Arabidopsis plants limits the movement of Tobacco mosaic virus and Turnip vein clearing virus and reduces plant susceptibility to these viruses. Here we discuss how overexpression of PMEI may reduce tobamovirus spreading.
Insights
Pectin methylesterase inhibitors (PMEIs) limit tobamovirus spread by interfering with viral movement proteins. Overexpressing PMEIs in plants reduces susceptibility to viruses like Tobacco mosaic virus, offering a potential control strategy.
Area of Science:
- Plant virology
- Molecular plant-pathogen interactions
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Viruses spread between plant cells via plasmodesmata, utilizing host factors.
- Viral movement proteins (MPs) interact with host pectin methylesterase (PME) to facilitate viral translocation.
- The precise mechanism of PME/MP complex formation and its role in viral spread remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of pectin methylesterase inhibitors (PMEIs) in controlling tobamovirus spread.
- To elucidate how PMEI overexpression impacts plant susceptibility to viral infections.
Main Methods:
- Overexpression of PMEIs in model plants (Arabidopsis and tobacco).
- Assessing the effect of PMEI overexpression on the movement of Tobacco mosaic virus and Turnip vein clearing virus.
- Analyzing plant susceptibility to tobamovirus infection.
Main Results:
- Overexpression of PMEIs significantly limited the cell-to-cell movement of tobamoviruses.
- PMEI overexpression reduced overall plant susceptibility to these viral infections.
- This suggests a crucial role for PME in facilitating viral spread.
Conclusions:
- Pectin methylesterase inhibitors represent a promising strategy for managing tobamovirus diseases in plants.
- Targeting the interaction between viral MPs and host PME could be a viable approach for disease control.
- Further research into PME/MP complex dynamics is warranted to fully understand and exploit this interaction.
