Potyvirus aphid transmission requires helper component and homologous coat protein for maximal efficiency

Aphid transmission of potyviruses depends on the presence of specific sequence domains in two virus encoded proteins, the coat protein (CP) and helper component-proteinase (HC-Pro). Aphid transmissable peanut stripe virus (PStV), like most potyviruses, has an Asp-Ala-Gly (DAG) motif in the amino-terminal part of the CP. Peanut Mottle Virus (PeMoV) was determined to be highly aphid transmissible but has a unique Asp-Ala-Ala-Ala (DAAA) motif. To determine if the DAAA motif could functionally replace the DAG motif in PStV, mutations were made in a full-length cDNA clone of PStV. All of the mutations in the CP DAG motif abolished aphid transmissibility of PStV but did not affect virus infectivity. The aphid transmissibility of the PStV-DAAA mutant was partially restored by feeding aphids an artificial diet containing purified virus and PeMoV HC-Pro. The PStV-DAAA virus was poorly transmitted by aphids in vitro with HC-Pro purified from PStV or tobacco vein mottling virus (TVMV) infected plants. These experiments support the theory that specific HC-Pro/CP interactions are required for efficient aphid transmission. Based upon the sequence comparisons of 16 potyviral HC-Pro proteins several conserved motifs and striking differences have been identified. PeMoV was determined to have an Ala-Ser-Cys (ASC) HC-Pro motif instead of a highly conserved Cys-Cys-Cys (CCC) motif. We have predicted that this CCC motif could play an important role in the specific interaction between the HC-Pro and the CP DAG motif.