Enhanced viral pathogenesis associated with a virulent mutant virus or a virulent satellite RNA correlates with reduced virion accumulation and abundance of free coat protein.
SatC, a chimeric satellite RNA associated with Turnip crinkle virus (TCV), intensifies the symptoms of TCV on all symptomatic hosts yet attenuates the symptoms of a TCV mutant that expresses low levels of a defective coat protein (CP). We now report that TCV virion levels were substantially reduced by the presence of satC or when two amino acids were inserted at the N-terminus of the CP, resulting in similarly enhanced symptoms. Since the TCV CP is a suppressor of RNA silencing, increased levels of resultant free CP could augment silencing suppression, resulting in enhanced colonization of the plant.
Zhang
Fengli
F
Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland College Park, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
Simon
Anne E
AE
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics*; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000821:virology; D010942:Plant Viruses / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology; D034622:RNA Interference; D019244:RNA, Satellite / Q000235:genetics*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
D036022:Capsid Proteins; D019244:RNA, Satellite; D012367:RNA, Viral