Voltage-dependent anion channel proteins associate with dynamic Bamboo mosaic virus-induced complexes

Area of Science:

• Plant virology
• Molecular biology
• Cell biology

Background:

• Viral infection cycles rely on host factors associated with cellular membranes.
• Understanding these interactions is key to controlling plant viral diseases like Bamboo mosaic virus (BaMV).

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify membrane-associated host factors involved in the BaMV infection cycle.
• To elucidate the role of identified host factors in BaMV replication and accumulation.

Main Methods:

• Purification of membrane-associated viral complexes from infected plants.
• Proteomic analysis to identify host factors (VDACs).
• Loss- and gain-of-function experiments to assess VDAC roles.
• Yeast two-hybrid and pull-down assays for protein interactions.
• Confocal microscopy for cellular localization and aggregation studies.

Main Results:

• Four voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC) isoforms were identified in BaMV complexes.
• NbVDAC2, -3, and -4 are essential for efficient BaMV accumulation.
• NbVDACs aggregate and traffic with BaMV virions to a novel replication complex.
• BaMV triple gene block protein 1 (TGBp1) interacts with NbVDACs and induces their aggregation.

Conclusions:

• Mitochondrial NbVDACs are integral components of the BaMV replication complex, likely via TGBp1 interaction.
• NbVDACs promote BaMV accumulation, highlighting the role of mitochondrial proteins in virus infection.
• This study reveals a novel mechanism of host-pathogen interaction involving VDACs in plant virus infection.