Tobamovirus replicase coding region is involved in cell-to-cell movement.
Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) encodes a 30-kDa movement protein (MP) which enables viral movement from cell to cell. It is, however, unclear whether the 126- and 183-kDa replicase proteins are involved in the cell-to-cell movement of TMV. In the course of our studies into TMV-R, a strain with a host range different from that of TMV-U1, we have obtained an interesting chimeric virus, UR-hel. The amino acid sequence differences between UR-hel and TMV-U1 are located only in the helicase-like domain of the replicase. Interestingly, UR-hel has a defect in its cell-to-cell movement. The replication of UR-hel showed a level of replication of the genome, synthesis, and accumulation of MP similar to that observed in TMV-U1-inoculated protoplasts. Such observations support the hypothesis that the replicase coding region may in some fashion be involved in cell-to-cell movement of TMV.
Hirashima
K
K
Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan.
Watanabe
Y
Y
D005814:Genes, Viral / Q000502:physiology*; D016296:Mutagenesis; D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D014027:Tobacco Mosaic Virus / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
C085103:tobacco mosaic virus replicase; D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase