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Abstract Cell-to-cell movement is an important step for initiation and spreading of virus infection in plants. This process occurs through the intercellular connections, termed plasmodesmata (PD), and is usually mediated by one or more virus-encoded movement proteins (MP) which interact with multiple cellular factors, among them protein kinases that usually have negative effects on MP function and virus movement. In this study, we report physical and functional interaction between MP ofTobacco mosaic virus(TMV), the paradigm of PD-moving proteins, and a receptor-like kinase BAM1 from Arabidopsis and its homolog fromNicotiana benthamiana. The interacting proteins accumulated in the PD regions, colocalizing with a PD marker. Reversed genetics experiments, using BAM1 gain-of-function and loss-of-function plants, indicated that BAM1 is required for efficient spread and accumulation the virus during initial stages of infection of both plant species by TMV. Furthermore, BAM1 was also required for the efficient cell-to-cell movement of TMV MP, suggesting that BAM1 interacts with TMV MP to support early movement of the virus. Interestingly, this role of BAM1 in viral movement did not require its protein kinase activity. Thus, we propose that association of BAM1 with TMV MP at PD facilitates the MP transport through PD, which, in turn, enhances the spread of the viral infection.
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This content will become publicly available on April 17, 2026
The roles of movement and coat proteins in the transport of tobamoviruses between plant cells
Tobamovirusis a large group of positive-sense, single-stranded RNA viruses that cause diseases in a broad range of plant species, including many agronomically important crops. The number of knownTobamovirusspecies has been on the rise in recent years, and currently, this genus includes 47 viruses. Tobamoviruses are transmitted mainly by mechanical contact, such as physical touching by hands or agricultural tools; and some are also transmitted on seeds, or through pollinator insects. The tobamoviral genome encodes proteins that have evolved to fulfill the main conceptual task of the viral infection cycle - the spread of the invading virus throughout the host plant cells, tissues, and organs. Here, we discuss this aspect of the infection cycle of tobamoviruses, focusing on the advances in our understanding of the local, i.e., cell-to-cell, and systemic, i.e., organ-to-organ, virus movement, and the viral and host plant determinants of these processes. Specifically, we spotlight two viral proteins—the movement protein (MP) and the coat protein (CP), which are directly involved in the local and systemic spread of tobamoviruses—with respect to their phylogeny, activities during viral movement, and interactions with the host determinants of the movement process.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1913165
- PAR ID:
- 10623706
- Publisher / Repository:
- Frontiers
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Frontiers in Plant Science
- Volume:
- 16
- ISSN:
- 1664-462X
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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