Analysis of Tospovirus NSs Proteins in Suppression of Systemic Silencing.

RNA silencing is a sequence-specific gene regulation mechanism that in plants also acts antiviral. In order to counteract antiviral RNA silencing, viruses have evolved RNA silencing suppressors (RSS). In the case of tospoviruses, the non-structural NSs protein has been identified as the RSS. Althoug...

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Main Authors: Marcio Hedil, Mark G Sterken, Dryas de Ronde, Dick Lohuis, Richard Kormelink
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2015-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4537313?pdf=render
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author Marcio Hedil
Mark G Sterken
Dryas de Ronde
Dick Lohuis
Richard Kormelink
author_facet Marcio Hedil
Mark G Sterken
Dryas de Ronde
Dick Lohuis
Richard Kormelink
author_sort Marcio Hedil
collection DOAJ
description RNA silencing is a sequence-specific gene regulation mechanism that in plants also acts antiviral. In order to counteract antiviral RNA silencing, viruses have evolved RNA silencing suppressors (RSS). In the case of tospoviruses, the non-structural NSs protein has been identified as the RSS. Although the tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) tospovirus NSs protein has been shown to exhibit affinity to long and small dsRNA molecules, its ability to suppress the non-cell autonomous part of RNA silencing has only been studied to a limited extent. Here, the NSs proteins of TSWV, groundnut ringspot virus (GRSV) and tomato yellow ring virus (TYRV), representatives for three distinct tospovirus species, have been studied on their ability and strength to suppress local and systemic silencing. A system has been developed to quantify suppression of GFP silencing in Nicotiana benthamiana 16C lines, to allow a comparison of relative RNA silencing suppressor strength. It is shown that NSs of all three tospoviruses are suppressors of local and systemic silencing. Unexpectedly, suppression of systemic RNA silencing by NSsTYRV was just as strong as those by NSsTSWV and NSsGRSV, even though NSsTYRV was expressed in lower amounts. Using the system established, a set of selected NSsTSWV gene constructs mutated in predicted RNA binding domains, as well as NSs from TSWV isolates 160 and 171 (resistance breakers of the Tsw resistance gene), were analyzed for their ability to suppress systemic GFP silencing. The results indicate another mode of RNA silencing suppression by NSs that acts further downstream the biogenesis of siRNAs and their sequestration. The findings are discussed in light of the affinity of NSs for small and long dsRNA, and recent mutant screen of NSsTSWV to map domains required for RSS activity and triggering of Tsw-governed resistance.
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spelling doaj.art-bb40a944686441acb5e5a1af3d66fe042022-12-21T20:12:50ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032015-01-01108e013451710.1371/journal.pone.0134517Analysis of Tospovirus NSs Proteins in Suppression of Systemic Silencing.Marcio HedilMark G SterkenDryas de RondeDick LohuisRichard KormelinkRNA silencing is a sequence-specific gene regulation mechanism that in plants also acts antiviral. In order to counteract antiviral RNA silencing, viruses have evolved RNA silencing suppressors (RSS). In the case of tospoviruses, the non-structural NSs protein has been identified as the RSS. Although the tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) tospovirus NSs protein has been shown to exhibit affinity to long and small dsRNA molecules, its ability to suppress the non-cell autonomous part of RNA silencing has only been studied to a limited extent. Here, the NSs proteins of TSWV, groundnut ringspot virus (GRSV) and tomato yellow ring virus (TYRV), representatives for three distinct tospovirus species, have been studied on their ability and strength to suppress local and systemic silencing. A system has been developed to quantify suppression of GFP silencing in Nicotiana benthamiana 16C lines, to allow a comparison of relative RNA silencing suppressor strength. It is shown that NSs of all three tospoviruses are suppressors of local and systemic silencing. Unexpectedly, suppression of systemic RNA silencing by NSsTYRV was just as strong as those by NSsTSWV and NSsGRSV, even though NSsTYRV was expressed in lower amounts. Using the system established, a set of selected NSsTSWV gene constructs mutated in predicted RNA binding domains, as well as NSs from TSWV isolates 160 and 171 (resistance breakers of the Tsw resistance gene), were analyzed for their ability to suppress systemic GFP silencing. The results indicate another mode of RNA silencing suppression by NSs that acts further downstream the biogenesis of siRNAs and their sequestration. The findings are discussed in light of the affinity of NSs for small and long dsRNA, and recent mutant screen of NSsTSWV to map domains required for RSS activity and triggering of Tsw-governed resistance.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4537313?pdf=render
spellingShingle Marcio Hedil
Mark G Sterken
Dryas de Ronde
Dick Lohuis
Richard Kormelink
Analysis of Tospovirus NSs Proteins in Suppression of Systemic Silencing.
PLoS ONE
title Analysis of Tospovirus NSs Proteins in Suppression of Systemic Silencing.
title_full Analysis of Tospovirus NSs Proteins in Suppression of Systemic Silencing.
title_fullStr Analysis of Tospovirus NSs Proteins in Suppression of Systemic Silencing.
title_full_unstemmed Analysis of Tospovirus NSs Proteins in Suppression of Systemic Silencing.
title_short Analysis of Tospovirus NSs Proteins in Suppression of Systemic Silencing.
title_sort analysis of tospovirus nss proteins in suppression of systemic silencing
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4537313?pdf=render
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