A putative antiviral role of plant cytidine deaminases [version 2; referees: 2 approved]
Background: A mechanism of innate antiviral immunity operating against viruses infecting mammalian cells has been described during the last decade. Host cytidine deaminases (e.g., APOBEC3 proteins) edit viral genomes, giving rise to hypermutated nonfunctional viruses; consequently, viral fitness is...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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F1000 Research Ltd
2017-06-01
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| Series: | F1000Research |
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| Online Access: | https://f1000research.com/articles/6-622/v2 |
| _version_ | 1828497877158068224 |
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| author | Susana Martín José M. Cuevas Ana Grande-Pérez Santiago F. Elena |
| author_facet | Susana Martín José M. Cuevas Ana Grande-Pérez Santiago F. Elena |
| author_sort | Susana Martín |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: A mechanism of innate antiviral immunity operating against viruses infecting mammalian cells has been described during the last decade. Host cytidine deaminases (e.g., APOBEC3 proteins) edit viral genomes, giving rise to hypermutated nonfunctional viruses; consequently, viral fitness is reduced through lethal mutagenesis. By contrast, sub-lethal hypermutagenesis may contribute to virus evolvability by increasing population diversity. To prevent genome editing, some viruses have evolved proteins that mediate APOBEC3 degradation. The model plant Arabidopsis thaliana genome encodes nine cytidine deaminases (AtCDAs), raising the question of whether deamination is an antiviral mechanism in plants as well. Methods: Here we tested the effects of expression of AtCDAs on the pararetrovirus Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV). Two different experiments were carried out. First, we transiently overexpressed each one of the nine A. thaliana AtCDA genes in Nicotiana bigelovii plants infected with CaMV, and characterized the resulting mutational spectra, comparing them with those generated under normal conditions. Secondly, we created A. thaliana transgenic plants expressing an artificial microRNA designed to knock-out the expression of up to six AtCDA genes. This and control plants were then infected with CaMV. Virus accumulation and mutational spectra where characterized in both types of plants. Results: We have shown that the A. thaliana AtCDA1 gene product exerts a mutagenic activity, significantly increasing the number of G to A mutations in vivo, with a concomitant reduction in the amount of CaMV genomes accumulated. Furthermore, the magnitude of this mutagenic effect on CaMV accumulation is positively correlated with the level of AtCDA1 mRNA expression in the plant. Conclusions: Our results suggest that deamination of viral genomes may also work as an antiviral mechanism in plants. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T12:55:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-42e9cc0bb37b4470b51275fe176f4992 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2046-1402 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T12:55:41Z |
| publishDate | 2017-06-01 |
| publisher | F1000 Research Ltd |
| record_format | Article |
| series | F1000Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-42e9cc0bb37b4470b51275fe176f49922022-12-22T01:06:35ZengF1000 Research LtdF1000Research2046-14022017-06-01610.12688/f1000research.11111.212856A putative antiviral role of plant cytidine deaminases [version 2; referees: 2 approved]Susana Martín0José M. Cuevas1Ana Grande-Pérez2Santiago F. Elena3Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (IBMCP), CSIC-Universidad Politécnica de València, Campus UPV CPI 8E, Ingeniero Fausto Elio s/n, 46022 València, SpainInstituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (IBMCP), CSIC-Universidad Politécnica de València, Campus UPV CPI 8E, Ingeniero Fausto Elio s/n, 46022 València, SpainInstituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea “La Mayora”, CSIC-Universidad de Málaga, Campus de Teatinos, 29071 Málaga, SpainThe Santa Fe Institute, 1399 Hyde Park Road, Santa Fe, NM, 87501, USABackground: A mechanism of innate antiviral immunity operating against viruses infecting mammalian cells has been described during the last decade. Host cytidine deaminases (e.g., APOBEC3 proteins) edit viral genomes, giving rise to hypermutated nonfunctional viruses; consequently, viral fitness is reduced through lethal mutagenesis. By contrast, sub-lethal hypermutagenesis may contribute to virus evolvability by increasing population diversity. To prevent genome editing, some viruses have evolved proteins that mediate APOBEC3 degradation. The model plant Arabidopsis thaliana genome encodes nine cytidine deaminases (AtCDAs), raising the question of whether deamination is an antiviral mechanism in plants as well. Methods: Here we tested the effects of expression of AtCDAs on the pararetrovirus Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV). Two different experiments were carried out. First, we transiently overexpressed each one of the nine A. thaliana AtCDA genes in Nicotiana bigelovii plants infected with CaMV, and characterized the resulting mutational spectra, comparing them with those generated under normal conditions. Secondly, we created A. thaliana transgenic plants expressing an artificial microRNA designed to knock-out the expression of up to six AtCDA genes. This and control plants were then infected with CaMV. Virus accumulation and mutational spectra where characterized in both types of plants. Results: We have shown that the A. thaliana AtCDA1 gene product exerts a mutagenic activity, significantly increasing the number of G to A mutations in vivo, with a concomitant reduction in the amount of CaMV genomes accumulated. Furthermore, the magnitude of this mutagenic effect on CaMV accumulation is positively correlated with the level of AtCDA1 mRNA expression in the plant. Conclusions: Our results suggest that deamination of viral genomes may also work as an antiviral mechanism in plants.https://f1000research.com/articles/6-622/v2Plant-Environment InteractionsPlant Genetics & Gene ExpressionVirology |
| spellingShingle | Susana Martín José M. Cuevas Ana Grande-Pérez Santiago F. Elena A putative antiviral role of plant cytidine deaminases [version 2; referees: 2 approved] F1000Research Plant-Environment Interactions Plant Genetics & Gene Expression Virology |
| title | A putative antiviral role of plant cytidine deaminases [version 2; referees: 2 approved] |
| title_full | A putative antiviral role of plant cytidine deaminases [version 2; referees: 2 approved] |
| title_fullStr | A putative antiviral role of plant cytidine deaminases [version 2; referees: 2 approved] |
| title_full_unstemmed | A putative antiviral role of plant cytidine deaminases [version 2; referees: 2 approved] |
| title_short | A putative antiviral role of plant cytidine deaminases [version 2; referees: 2 approved] |
| title_sort | putative antiviral role of plant cytidine deaminases version 2 referees 2 approved |
| topic | Plant-Environment Interactions Plant Genetics & Gene Expression Virology |
| url | https://f1000research.com/articles/6-622/v2 |
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