Evidence that the linker between the methyltransferase and helicase domains of potato virus X replicase is involved in homologous RNA recombination.

ABSTRACT: Recombination in RNA viruses, one of the main factors contributing to their genetic variability and evolution, is a widespread phenomenon. In this study, an in vivo assay to characterize RNA recombination in potato virus X (PVX), under high selection pressure, was established. Agrobacterium tumefaciens was used to express in Nicotiana benthamiana leaf tissue both a PVX isolate labeled with green fluorescent protein (GFP) containing a coat protein deletion mutation (DeltaCP) and a transcript encoding a functional coat protein +3'-ntr. Coexpression of the constructs led to virus movement and systemic infection; reconstituted recombinants were observed in 92% of inoculated plants. Similar results were obtained using particle bombardment, demonstrating that recombination mediated by A. tumefac

SUBMITTER: Draghici HK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2708637 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature