Peripheral association of a polyprotein precursor form of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of Tomato ringspot virus with the membrane-bound viral replication complex

Virology. 2007 Nov 10;368(1):133-44. doi: 10.1016/j.virol.2007.06.032. Epub 2007 Jul 23.

Abstract

Replication of Tomato ringspot virus (ToRSV) occurs in association with endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-derived membranes. We have previously shown that the putative nucleotide triphosphate-binding protein (NTB) of ToRSV is an ER-targeted protein and that an intermediate polyprotein containing the domains for NTB and for the genome-linked viral protein (VPg) is associated with the replication complex. We now report the detection of a 95-kDa polyprotein that contains the domains for the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (Pol), the proteinase (Pro) and the VPg. This polyprotein appears to be a truncated version of the full-length 111-kDa VPg-Pro-Pol polyprotein and was termed VPg-Pro-Pol'. A subpopulation of VPg-Pro-Pol' was peripherally associated with ER-derived membranes active in viral replication. However, the VPg, Pro and Pol domains did not target to membranes in the absence of viral infection. We propose a model in which VPg-Pro-Pol' is brought to the site of replication through interaction with a viral membrane protein.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Cucumis sativus / virology*
  • Endoplasmic Reticulum / chemistry
  • Endoplasmic Reticulum / virology
  • Gene Products, pol / metabolism
  • Intracellular Membranes / chemistry
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nepovirus / metabolism*
  • Peptide Hydrolases / metabolism
  • Polyproteins / chemistry
  • Polyproteins / metabolism*
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase / metabolism*
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Viral Proteins / metabolism*
  • Virus Replication*

Substances

  • Gene Products, pol
  • Polyproteins
  • Viral Proteins
  • RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase
  • Peptide Hydrolases