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Increased pathogenicity in a pseudorecombinant bipartite geminivirus correlates with intermolecular recombination
1Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis 95616, USA.
Journal of Virology
|August 1, 1996
Summary
The bipartite genomes of geminiviruses facilitate evolution. Exchanging DNA components between bean dwarf mosaic virus (BDMV) and tomato mottle virus (ToMoV) led to a highly pathogenic recombinant through recombination, demonstrating viral evolution.
Area of Science:
- Plant Virology
- Molecular Biology
- Viral Evolution
Background:
- Whitefly-transmitted geminiviruses often have bipartite DNA genomes.
- This genomic structure may promote viral evolution via recombination and pseudorecombination.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if bipartite genomes facilitate geminivirus evolution.
- To examine the roles of DNA-A and DNA-B components in viral adaptation.
Main Methods:
- Exchanging DNA-A and DNA-B components between bean dwarf mosaic virus (BDMV) and tomato mottle virus (ToMoV).
- Serial passaging of resulting pseudorecombinants in Nicotiana benthamiana and Phaseolus vulgaris.
- Sequence analysis of viral DNA components.
Main Results:
- Both pseudorecombinants were infectious but showed attenuated symptoms and reduced DNA-B levels.
- A ToMoV DNA-A/BDMV DNA-B pseudorecombinant became highly pathogenic after serial passage.
- This pathogenic strain resulted from intermolecular recombination, replacing the BDMV DNA-B common region with the ToMoV DNA-A common region.
Conclusions:
- The bipartite genome structure of geminiviruses facilitates viral evolution.
- Pseudorecombination and intermolecular recombination are key mechanisms for geminivirus adaptation and increased pathogenicity.