A novel function for a ubiquitous plant enzyme pectin methylesterase: the host-cell receptor for the tobacco mosaic virus movement protein

FEBS Lett. 1999 Nov 19;461(3):223-8. doi: 10.1016/s0014-5793(99)01447-7.

Abstract

Plant virus-encoded movement proteins promote viral spread between plant cells via plasmodesmata. The movement is assumed to require a plasmodesmata targeting signal to interact with still unidentified host factors presumably located on plasmodesmata and cell walls. The present work indicates that a ubiquitous cell wall-associated plant enzyme pectin methylesterase of Nicotiana tabacum L. specifically binds to the movement protein encoded by tobacco mosaic virus. We also show that pectin methylesterase is an RNA binding protein. These data suggest that pectin methylesterase is a host cell receptor involved in cell-to-cell movement of tobacco mosaic virus.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Base Sequence
  • Brassica / metabolism
  • Brassica / virology
  • Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases / genetics
  • Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases / physiology*
  • Cell Wall / metabolism
  • Genes, Plant
  • Hordeum / metabolism
  • Hordeum / virology
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nicotiana / genetics
  • Nicotiana / metabolism
  • Nicotiana / virology
  • Plant Diseases / virology
  • Plant Proteins / genetics
  • Plant Proteins / physiology*
  • Plant Viral Movement Proteins
  • Plants, Toxic
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Tobacco Mosaic Virus / metabolism*
  • Tobacco Mosaic Virus / physiology
  • Viral Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Plant Proteins
  • Plant Viral Movement Proteins
  • Viral Proteins
  • Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases
  • pectinesterase

Associated data

  • GENBANK/AJ249786