Positive-Strand RNA Viruses Induce LTR Retrotransposon Transcription and Extrachromosomal Circular DNA Generation in Plants.

ABSTRACT: Mobile elements, particularly long terminal repeat retrotransposons (LTR-RTEs), are abundant and dynamic components of plant genomes. Although viral infections are known to transcriptionally activate retrotransposons, it remains unclear whether such virus-induced activation leads to their mobilization. To address this question, we examined LTR-RTE activation in Arabidopsis thaliana, Brassica napus, and Nicotiana benthamiana following infection with the RNA viruses Tobacco rattle virus (TRV), Potato virus X (PVX), and Tobacco ringspot virus (TRSV). Nanopore cDNA sequencing revealed virus-specific transcriptional responses, with PVX uniquely triggering a strong transcriptional burst of diverse LTR-RTE families in N. benthamiana. To test the role of viral suppresso

SUBMITTER: Merkulov P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12786186 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature