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Geminiviral V2 Protein Suppresses Transcriptional Gene Silencing through Interaction with AGO4
- Source :
- Journal of Virology. 93
- Publication Year :
- 2019
- Publisher :
- American Society for Microbiology, 2019.
-
Abstract
- In plants, RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM)-mediated transcriptional gene silencing (TGS) is a natural antiviral defense against geminiviruses. Several geminiviral proteins have been shown to target the enzymes related to the methyl cycle or histone modification; however, it remains largely unknown whether and by which mechanism geminiviruses directly inhibit RdDM-mediated TGS. In this study, we showed that Cotton leaf curl Multan virus (CLCuMuV) V2 directly interacts with Nicotiana benthamiana AGO4 (NbAGO4) and that the L76S mutation in V2 (V2(L76S)) abolishes such interaction. We further showed that V2, but not V2(L76S), can suppresses RdDM and TGS. Silencing of NbAGO4 inhibits TGS, reduces the viral methylation level, and enhances CLCuMuV DNA accumulation. In contrast, the V2(L76S) substitution mutant attenuates CLCuMuV infection and enhances the viral methylation level. These findings reveal that CLCuMuV V2 contributes to viral infection by interaction with NbAGO4 to suppress RdDM-mediated TGS in plants. IMPORTANCE In plants, the RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) pathway is a natural antiviral defense mechanism against geminiviruses. However, how geminiviruses counter RdDM-mediated defense is largely unknown. Our findings reveal that Cotton leaf curl Multan virus V2 contributes to viral infection by interaction with NbAGO4 to suppress RNA-directed DNA methylation-mediated transcriptional gene silencing in plants. Our work provides the first evidence that a geminiviral protein is able to directly target core RdDM components to counter RdDM-mediated TGS antiviral defense in plants, which extends our current understanding of viral counters to host antiviral defense.
- Subjects :
- 0106 biological sciences
Transcription, Genetic
Immunology
Mutant
Nicotiana benthamiana
medicine.disease_cause
01 natural sciences
Microbiology
Viral Proteins
03 medical and health sciences
chemistry.chemical_compound
Virology
Tobacco
medicine
Gene silencing
Gene Silencing
Plant Diseases
030304 developmental biology
0303 health sciences
Mutation
biology
fungi
food and beverages
Methylation
DNA Methylation
biology.organism_classification
Cell biology
Geminiviridae
Histone
chemistry
Begomovirus
Insect Science
DNA, Viral
Host-Pathogen Interactions
DNA methylation
biology.protein
Pathogenesis and Immunity
DNA
010606 plant biology & botany
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 10985514 and 0022538X
- Volume :
- 93
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Journal of Virology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....4a3cff67bef594bd6b15b2b8320ceb15