Identification of Pns6, a putative movement protein of RRSV, as a silencing suppressor

Virol J. 2010 Nov 22:7:335. doi: 10.1186/1743-422X-7-335.

Abstract

RNA silencing is a potent antiviral response in plants. As a counterdefense, most plant and some animal viruses encode RNA silencing suppressors. In this study, we showed that Pns6, a putative movement protein of Rice ragged stunt virus (RRSV), exhibited silencing suppressor activity in coinfiltration assays with the reporter green fluorescent protein (GFP) in transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana line 16c. Pns6 of RRSV suppressed local silencing induced by sense RNA but had no effect on that induced by dsRNA. Deletion of a region involved in RNA binding abolished the silencing suppressor activity of Pns6. Further, expression of Pns6 enhanced Potato virus × pathogenicity in N. benthamiana. Collectively, these results suggested that RRSV Pns6 functions as a virus suppressor of RNA silencing that targets an upstream step of the dsRNA formation in the RNA silencing pathway. This is the first silencing suppressor to be identified from the genus Oryzavirus.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Binding Sites
  • Genes, Reporter
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Host-Pathogen Interactions*
  • Nicotiana / immunology*
  • Nicotiana / virology
  • Plant Diseases / virology*
  • Plant Viral Movement Proteins / genetics
  • Plant Viral Movement Proteins / metabolism*
  • Plants, Genetically Modified / immunology
  • Plants, Genetically Modified / virology
  • Potexvirus / immunology
  • Potexvirus / pathogenicity
  • Protein Binding
  • RNA Interference*
  • Reoviridae / genetics
  • Reoviridae / immunology*
  • Reoviridae / pathogenicity*
  • Sequence Deletion
  • Staining and Labeling / methods

Substances

  • Plant Viral Movement Proteins
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins