title: Large-scale codon de-optimisation of the p29 replicase gene by synonymous substitutions causes a loss of infectivity of melon necrotic spot virus.
abstract: The effect of synonymous substitutions in the melon necrotic spot virus p29 replicase gene on viral pathogenicity was investigated. The codons in the p29 gene were replaced by the least frequently used synonymous codons in Arabidopsis thaliana or melons. Mechanical inoculation of melon with p29 variants resulted in a loss of viral infectivity when all, one-half, or one-quarter of the gene was de-optimised. The effect of the de-optimisation in one-sixth of the gene was different depending on the de-optimised region. These results demonstrate that large-scale codon bias de-optimisation without amino acid substitutions of the p29 gene alter viral infectivity.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, 1-1, Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Usami
authors.forename: Tomofumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mochizuki
authors.forename: Shinya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsuda
authors.forename: Satoshi T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Ohki
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000821:virology; D001483:Base Sequence; D019184:Carmovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D003062:Codon; D019662:Cucurbitaceae / Q000821:virology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D003062:Codon; D014764:Viral Proteins; D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase