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Recombination between defective tombusvirus RNAs generates functional hybrid genomes
1School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln 68588-0118.
Summary
Tombusviruses can create new hybrid RNA genomes through recombination, even using non-replicating viral components. These chimeric genomes can infect plants and cause disease, highlighting efficient viral RNA recombination.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Molecular Biology
- Plant Pathology
Background:
- Tombusviruses are small, icosahedral plant viruses with positive-sense RNA genomes.
- These viruses can generate defective interfering RNAs (DI RNAs) through RNA recombination and rearrangement during infection.
- Understanding tombusvirus recombination is crucial for plant disease management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficiency of RNA recombination in tombusviruses.
- To determine if tombusviruses are capable of trans-recombination.
- To explore the generation of functional chimeric viral genomes.
Main Methods:
- Coinoculation of protoplasts with engineered RNA transcripts of cucumber necrosis tombusvirus and tomato bushy stunt tombusvirus DI RNAs.
- Detection and analysis of chimeric recombinant viral RNA populations using molecular techniques.
- Systemic infection assays in plants with generated chimeric recombinants.
Main Results:
- Two dominant replicative chimeric recombinant viral RNA populations were detected.
- Chimeric RNAs contained fused segments from different tombusvirus species.
- Larger chimeric recombinants could systemically infect plants and induce symptoms.
- Functional chimeric genomes were generated in planta.
Conclusions:
- RNA recombination occurs efficiently in single-cell tombusvirus infections.
- Trans-recombination is possible with non-replicating viral RNA components.
- Functional chimeric tombusvirus genomes can be generated via recombination, with implications for viral evolution.