title: Form follows function in geminiviral minichromosome architecture.
abstract: A comprehensive survey on the viral minichromosomes of the begomoviruses Abutilon mosaic virus, tomato yellow leaf curl Sardinia virus, African cassava mosaic virus, Indian cassava mosaic virus (family Geminiviridae) during the course of infections in Nicotiana benthamiana is summarized. Using optimized one-dimensional and two-dimensional gel systems combined with blot hybridization and a standardized evaluation, discrete and heterogeneous virus-specific signals with different DNA forms were compared to trace functions of viral multiplication with inactive/active replication and/or transcription. A quantitative approach to compare the distantly related viruses during the course of infection with the aim to generalize the conclusions for geminiviruses has been developed. Focussing on the distribution of topoisomers of viral supercoiled DNA, which reflect minichromosomal stages, predominant minichromosomes with 12 nucleosomes, less with 13 nucleosomes and no with 11 nucleosomes were found. These results indicate that chromatin with only one open gap to bind transcription factors is the favourite form. The dynamics during infections in dependence on the experimental conditions is discussed with reference to the design of experiments for resistance breeding and molecular analyses.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Biomaterialien und biomolekulare Systeme, Abteilung für Molekularbiologie und Virologie der Pflanzen, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, D-70550 Stuttgart, Germany.
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Paprotka
authors.affiliation: Institut für Biomaterialien und biomolekulare Systeme, Abteilung für Molekularbiologie und Virologie der Pflanzen, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, D-70550 Stuttgart, Germany.
authors.forename: Kathrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Deuschle
authors.affiliation: Institut für Biomaterialien und biomolekulare Systeme, Abteilung für Molekularbiologie und Virologie der Pflanzen, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, D-70550 Stuttgart, Germany.
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pilartz
authors.affiliation: Institut für Biomaterialien und biomolekulare Systeme, Abteilung für Molekularbiologie und Virologie der Pflanzen, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, D-70550 Stuttgart, Germany. Electronic address: holger.jeske@bio.uni-stuttgart.de.
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jeske
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D004270:DNA, Circular / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004279:DNA, Viral; D017791:Geminiviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D023061:Gene Order; D016679:Genome, Viral; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000821:virology; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000821:virology; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D004270:DNA, Circular; D004279:DNA, Viral
keywords: Abutilon mosaic virus; African cassava mosaic virus; Begomovirus; Geminiviridae; Indian cassava mosaic virus; Tomato yellow leaf curl Sardinia virus