title: The Citrus leaf blotch virus movement protein acts as silencing suppressor.
abstract: To counteract plant antiviral defense based on RNA silencing, many viruses express proteins that inhibit this mechanism at different levels. The genome of Citrus leaf blotch virus (CLBV) encodes a 227-kDa protein involved in replication, a 40-kDa movement protein (MP), and a 41-kDa coat protein (CP). To determine if any of these proteins might have RNA silencing suppressor activities, we have used Agrobacterium-mediated transient assays in the green fluorescent protein (GFP)-expressing Nicotiana benthamiana line 16c. Only CLBV MP was able to suppress intracellular GFP silencing induced by expression of either single- or double-stranded (ds) GFP RNA, but not cell-to-cell or long distance spread of the silencing signal. The MP suppressor activity was weak compared to other characterized viral suppressor proteins. Overall our data indicate that MP acts as a suppressor of local silencing probably by interfering in the silencing pathway downstream of the steps of dsRNA and small RNAs generation.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Protección Vegetal y Biotecnología, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias, Ctra. Moncada-Náquera Km. 4.5, 46113 Moncada, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Águeda
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: Renovell
authors.forename: Mari Carmen
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Vives
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Ruiz
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Navarro
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guerri
mesh_terms: D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*; D053830:Plant Viral Movement Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010942:Plant Viruses / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D034622:RNA Interference; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D053830:Plant Viral Movement Proteins; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins