Suppressor of RNA silencing encoded by Tomato yellow leaf curl virus-Israel

Virology. 2007 Feb 5;358(1):159-65. doi: 10.1016/j.virol.2006.08.016. Epub 2006 Sep 18.

Abstract

The Israeli isolate of Tomato yellow leaf curl geminivirus (TYLCV-Is) is a major tomato pathogen, causing extensive crop losses both in the New and Old World. Surprisingly, however, little is known about the molecular mechanisms of TYLCV-Is interactions with tomato cells. Here, we have identified a TYLCV-Is protein, V2, which acts as a suppressor of RNA silencing and which is unrelated to presently known viral suppressors. Specifically, V2, but not other proteins of TYLCV-Is, inhibited RNA silencing of a reporter transgene, GFP. This inhibition elevated the cellular levels of the GFP transcript and the GFP protein, but it had no apparent effect on the accumulation of GFP-specific short interfering RNAs (siRNAs), suggesting that TYLCV-Is V2 targets a step in the RNA silencing pathway which is subsequent to the Dicer-mediated cleavage of dsRNA. Visualization of the sub-cellular localization of TYLCV-Is V2 in plant protoplasts and tissues showed that this protein is associated with cytoplasmic strands and inclusion bodies in the cortical regions of the cell.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Begomovirus / genetics
  • Begomovirus / pathogenicity*
  • Blotting, Western
  • Cytoplasm / chemistry
  • Genes, Reporter
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
  • Inclusion Bodies / chemistry
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Protoplasts / chemistry
  • RNA Interference*
  • RNA, Messenger / analysis
  • RNA, Small Interfering / analysis
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Solanum lycopersicum / virology*
  • Viral Proteins / genetics
  • Viral Proteins / metabolism
  • Viral Proteins / physiology*

Substances

  • RNA, Messenger
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Viral Proteins
  • enhanced green fluorescent protein
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins