Tobamovirus 3'-Terminal Gene Overlap May be a Mechanism for within-Host Fitness Improvement.

ABSTRACT: Overlapping genes (OGs) are a universal phenomenon in all kingdoms, and viruses display a high content of OGs combined with a high rate of evolution. It is believed that the mechanism of gene overlap is based on overprinting of an existing gene. OGs help virus genes compress a maximum amount of information into short sequences, conferring viral proteins with novel features and thereby increasing their within-host fitness. Analysis of tobamovirus 3'-terminal genes reveals at least two modes of OG organization and mechanisms of interaction with the host. Originally isolated from Solanaceae species, viruses (referred to as Solanaceae-infecting) such as tobacco mosaic virus do not show 3'-terminal overlap between movement protein (MP) and coat protein (CP) genes but do contain op

SUBMITTER: Dorokhov YL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5425575 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature