From darkness to light: Genetic manipulation of an atypical plant virus unveils key insights into kitavirus biology, highlighting capsid protein and eIF4A engagement to drive viral infection.

ABSTRACT: Kitaviridae, a newly recognized virus family, includes plant viruses infecting crops of great global importance, notably citrus. Despite its significant impact on citrus agricultural production, the molecular mechanisms underlying kitavirus infections remain largely unknown. Here, we engineered a recombinant citrus leprosis virus C (CiLV-C, genus Cilevirus) expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) and demonstrated its feasibility for studying the biology of cilevirus. Genetic manipulation of rCiLV-C-GFP revealed that vRNA1 is essential for replication and can self-replicate independently, while vRNA2 is crucial for movement. The intergenic region between the polymerase and capsid protein (CP) acts as a promoter for CP gene expression. Frameshift and deletion analyses provided key insight

SUBMITTER: Leastro MO 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12334043 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature