J. A. Sánchez-Navarro

Simultaneous detection and identification of eight stone fruit viruses by one-step RT-PCR.

A sensitive and reliable one step RT-PCR reaction with an internal control has been developed to detect and differentiate eight important viruses that affect stone fruit tress: Apple mosaic virus (ApMV), Prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV), Prune dwarf virus (PDV), American plum line pattern virus (APLPV), Plum pox virus (PPV), Apple chlorotic leaf spot virus (ACLSV), Apricot latent virus (ApLV) and Plum bark necrosis stem pitting associated virus (PBNSPaV). In addition, we investigated the detection limit and the efficiency of three different nucleic acid extraction methods that avoid the use of organic solvents, for both multiplex RT-PCR and dot-blot hybridisation assays. The primer cocktail was used to analyse 38 stone fruits originating from nine different countries and six species. A large number of virus combinations was detected and up to three different viruses were observed in five samples. A decrease in sensitivity was observed when the primer cocktail contained more than five different pair primers. However, comparative analyses showed that the multiplex RT-PCR containing the eight virus pair primers was even more sensitive than the ELISA or molecular hybridisation assays. The use of the multiplex RT-PCR technology in routine diagnosis of stone fruit tree viruses is discussed.

Chemiluminescent and colorigenic detection of cherry leaf roll virus with digoxigenin-labeled RNA probes

Digoxigenin-labeled RNA probes were used to detect cherry leaf roll virus in infected plants. A dot-blot hybridization immunoenzymatic assay in both crude sap extracts and partially purified tissue with a colorigenic and chemiluminescent detection was developed. The use of the new AMPPD substrate was found to be effective in clarified sap extracts in conditions were the colorigenic detection method failed. Both detection assays were effective when using unfractionated nucleic acid preparations, the chemiluminescent being five times more sensitive than the colorigenic. The chemiluminescent hybridization assay makes it possible to detect the virus at the picogram level. The non-radioactive dot-blot hybridization techniques described here turned out to be very suitable for plant virus diagnosis. The sensitivity of this method and those obtained by ELISA or radioactive dot-blot described previously is compared.

Location of Prunus Necrotic Ringspot Ilarvirus Within Pollen Grains of Infected Nectarine Trees: Evidence from RT-PCR, Dot-blot and in situ Hybridisation

Prunus necrotic ringspot Ilarvirus (PNRSV) is a pollen and seed-borne ilarvirus affecting most Prunus spp. The location of the virus in infected nectarine pollen grains was investigated by molecular hybridisation, RT-PCR and in situ hybridisation. The first two approaches revealed an internal location of the virus. In situ hybridisation demonstrated the virus in the bicellular pollen grain, where it was present in the cytoplasm of the vegetative cell but not in the generative cell. This result seems to indicate that the sperm cells, formed by the mitosis of the generative cell, are not involved in virus transmission to seed. Other possible mechanisms are discussed.

Plant Virus Cell-to-Cell Movement Is Not Dependent on the Transmembrane Disposition of Its Movement Protein

ABSTRACT The cell-to-cell transport of plant viruses depends on one or more virus-encoded movement proteins (MPs). Some MPs are integral membrane proteins that interact with the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum, but a detailed understanding of the interaction between MPs and biological membranes has been lacking. The cell-to-cell movement of the Prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV) is facilitated by a single MP of the 30K superfamily. Here, using a myriad of biochemical and biophysical approaches, we show that the PNRSV MP contains only one hydrophobic region (HR) that interacts with the membrane interface, as opposed to being a transmembrane protein. We also show that a proline residue located in the middle of the HR constrains the structural conformation of this region at the membrane interface, and its replacement precludes virus movement.

Simultaneous detection of five carnation viruses by non-isotopic molecular hybridization.

Several viruses, which in some cases can cause severe losses, affect carnation plants. These viruses include carnation mottle virus, carnation etched ring virus (CERV), carnation vein mottle virus, carnation ringspot virus, carnation Italian ringspot virus and carnation latent virus. A non-isotopic molecular hybridization was developed for the detection of these viruses in host plants and the sensitivity of the technique has been compared with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and bioassay methods. A procedure was developed to test simultaneously for the five RNA viruses (except CERV). The conditions established for this simultaneous detection did not include the DNA virus CERV due to the necessity of incorporating an additional step of RNase A treatment in the procedure to eliminate background signals. The sensitivity limits obtained for each virus using this multiple detection assay were identical to those obtained with the individual assays. The relative benefits of using this detection procedure for routine diagnosis of carnation viruses are discussed.

The movement protein (NSm) of Tomato spotted wilt virus is the avirulence determinant in the tomato Sw‐5 gene‐based resistance

The avirulence determinant triggering the resistance conferred by the tomato gene Sw-5 against Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) is still unresolved. Sequence comparison showed two substitutions (C118Y and T120N) in the movement protein NSm present only in TSWV resistance-breaking (RB) isolates. In this work, transient expression of NSm of three TSWV isolates [RB1 (T120N), RB2 (C118Y) and non-resistance-breaking (NRB)] in Nicotiana benthamiana expressing Sw-5 showed a hypersensitive response (HR) only with NRB. Exchange of the movement protein of Alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV) with NSm supported cell-to-cell and systemic transport of the chimeric AMV RNAs into N. tabacum with or without Sw-5, except for the constructs with NBR when Sw-5 was expressed, although RB2 showed reduced cell-to-cell transport. Mutational analysis revealed that N120 was sufficient to avoid the HR, but the substitution V130I was required for systemic transport. Finally, co-inoculation of RB and NRB AMV chimeric constructs showed different prevalence of RB or NBR depending on the presence or absence of Sw-5. These results indicate that NSm is the avirulence determinant for Sw-5 resistance, and mutations C118Y and T120N are responsible for resistance breakdown and have a fitness penalty in the context of the heterologous AMV system.

The Tobacco mosaic virus Movement Protein Associates with but Does Not Integrate into Biological Membranes

ABSTRACT Plant positive-strand RNA viruses require association with plant cell endomembranes for viral translation and replication, as well as for intra- and intercellular movement of the viral progeny. The membrane association and RNA binding of the Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) movement protein (MP) are vital for orchestrating the macromolecular network required for virus movement. A previously proposed topological model suggests that TMV MP is an integral membrane protein with two putative α-helical transmembrane (TM) segments. Here we tested this model using an experimental system that measured the efficiency with which natural polypeptide segments were inserted into the ER membrane under conditions approximating the in vivo situation, as well as in planta. Our results demonstrated that the two hydrophobic regions (HRs) of TMV MP do not span biological membranes. We further found that mutations to alter the hydrophobicity of the first HR modified membrane association and precluded virus movement. We propose a topological model in which the TMV MP HRs intimately associate with the cellular membranes, allowing maximum exposure of the hydrophilic domains of the MP to the cytoplasmic cellular components. IMPORTANCE To facilitate plant viral infection and spread, viruses encode one or more movement proteins (MPs) that interact with ER membranes. The present work investigated the membrane association of the 30K MP of Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), and the results challenge the previous topological model, which predicted that the TMV MP behaves as an integral membrane protein. The current data provide greatly needed clarification of the topological model and provide substantial evidence that TMV MP is membrane associated only at the cytoplasmic face of the membrane and that neither of its domains is integrated into the membrane or translocated into the lumen. Understanding the topology of MPs in the ER is vital for understanding the role of the ER in plant virus transport and for predicting interactions with host factors that mediate resistance to plant viruses.

Genetic diversity of the movement and coat protein genes of South American isolates of Prunus necrotic ringspot virus

Prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV) is distributed worldwide, but no molecular data have been previously reported from South American isolates. The nucleotide sequences corresponding to the movement (MP) and coat (CP) proteins of 23 isolates of PNRSV from Chile, Brazil, and Uruguay, and from different Prunus species, have been obtained. Phylogenetic analysis performed with full-length MP and CP sequences from all the PNRSV isolates confirmed the clustering of the isolates into the previously reported PV32-I, PV96-II and PE5-III phylogroups. No association was found between specific sequences and host, geographic origin or symptomatology. Comparative analysis showed that both MP and CP have phylogroup-specific amino acids and all of the motifs previously characterized for both proteins. The study of the distribution of synonymous and nonsynonymous changes along both open reading frames revealed that most amino acid sites are under the effect of negative purifying selection.

Citrus tristeza virus p23: Determinants for Nucleolar Localization and Their Influence on Suppression of RNA Silencing and Pathogenesis

Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) encodes a singular protein (p23, 209 amino acids) with multiple functions, including RNA silencing suppression (RSS). Confocal laser-scanning microscopy of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-p23 agroexpressed in Nicotiana benthamiana revealed its accumulation in the nucleolus, Cajal bodies, and plasmodesmata. To dissect the nucleolar localization signal (NoLS) typically associated with basic motifs, seven truncated and 10 point-mutated versions of p23 were assayed. Deletion mutants showed that regions 50 to 86 and 100 to 157 (excluding fragment 106 to 114), both with basic motifs and the first with a zinc-finger, contain the (bipartite) NoLS. Alanine substitutions delimited this signal to three cysteines of the Zn-finger and some basic amino acids. RSS activity of p23 in N. benthamiana was abolished by essentially all mutants, indicating that it involves most p23 regions. The necrotic-inducing ability of p23 when launched in N. benthamiana from Potato virus X was only retained by deletion mutant 158-209 and one substitution mutant, showing that the Zn-finger and flanking basic motifs form part of the pathogenic determinant. Ectopic expression of p23 and some deletion mutants in transgenic Mexican lime demarcated a similar determinant, suggesting that p23 affects related pathways in citrus and N. benthamiana. Both RSS activity and pathogenicity of p23 appear related to its nucleolar localization.

Molecular Evolution of the Plant Virus Family Bromoviridae Based on RNA3-Encoded Proteins

We have carried out an evolutionary study of the two proteins encoded by the RNA 3 from members of the plant virus family Bromoviridae. Using maximum likelihood methods, we have inferred the patterns of amino acid substitution that better explain the diversification of this viral family. The results indicate that the molecular evolution of this family was rather complex, with each protein evolving at different rates and according to different patterns of amino acid substitution. These differences include different amino acid equilibrium frequencies, heterogeneity in substitution rates among sites, and covariation among sites. Despite these differences, the model of protein evolution that better fits both proteins is one specifically proposed for the evolution of globular proteins. We also found evidence for coevolution between domains of these two proteins. Finally, our analyses suggest that the molecular clock hypothesis does not hold, since different lineages evolved at different rates. The implications of these results for the taxonomy of this important family of plant viruses are discussed.