Effects of brefeldin A on the localization of Tobamovirus movement protein and cell-to-cell movement of the virus

Manipulation of the Cellular Membrane-Cytoskeleton Network for RNA Virus Replication and Movement in Plants

Viruses infect all cellular life forms and cause various diseases and significant economic losses worldwide. The majority of viruses are positive-sense RNA viruses. A common feature of infection by diverse RNA viruses is to induce the formation of altered membrane structures in infected host cells. Indeed, upon entry into host cells, plant-infecting RNA viruses target preferred organelles of the cellular endomembrane system and remodel organellar membranes to form organelle-like structures for virus genome replication, termed as the viral replication organelle (VRO) or the viral replication complex (VRC). Different viruses may recruit different host factors for membrane modifications. These membrane-enclosed virus-induced replication factories provide an optimum, protective microenvironment to concentrate viral and host components for robust viral replication. Although different viruses prefer specific organelles to build VROs, at least some of them have the ability to exploit alternative organellar membranes for replication. Besides being responsible for viral replication, VROs of some viruses can be mobile to reach plasmodesmata (PD) via the endomembrane system, as well as the cytoskeleton machinery. Viral movement protein (MP) and/or MP-associated viral movement complexes also exploit the endomembrane-cytoskeleton network for trafficking to PD where progeny viruses pass through the cell-wall barrier to enter neighboring cells.

The Tobamoviral Movement Protein: A "Conditioner" to Create a Favorable Environment for Intercellular Spread of Infection

During their evolution, viruses acquired genes encoding movement protein(s) (MPs) that mediate the intracellular transport of viral genetic material to plasmodesmata (Pd) and initiate the mechanisms leading to the increase in plasmodesmal permeability. Although the current view on the role of the viral MPs was primarily formed through studies on tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), the function of its MP has not been fully elucidated. Given the intercellular movement of MPs independent of genomic viral RNA (vRNA), this characteristic may induce favorable conditions ahead of the infection front for the accelerated movement of the vRNA (i.e. the MP plays a role as a "conditioner" of viral intercellular spread). This idea is supported by (a) the synthesis of MP from genomic vRNA early in infection, (b) the Pd opening and the MP transfer to neighboring cells without formation of the viral replication complex (VRC), and (c) the MP-mediated movement of VRCs beyond the primary infected cell. Here, we will consider findings that favor the TMV MP as a "conditioner" of enhanced intercellular virus movement. In addition, we will discuss the mechanism by which TMV MP opens Pd for extraordinary transport of macromolecules. Although there is no evidence showing direct effects of TMV MP on Pd leading to their dilatation, recent findings indicate that MPs exert their influence indirectly by modulating Pd external and structural macromolecules such as callose and Pd-associated proteins. In explaining this phenomenon, we will propose a mechanism for TMV MP functioning as a conditioner for virus movement.

Key checkpoints in the movement of plant viruses through the host

Plant viruses cannot exploit any of the membrane fusion-based routes of entry described for animal viruses. In addition, one of the distinctive structures of plant cells, the cell wall, acts as the first barrier against the invasion of pathogens. To overcome the rigidity of the cell wall, plant viruses normally take advantage of the way of life of different biological vectors. Alternatively, the physical damage caused by environmental stresses can facilitate virus entry. Once inside the cell and taking advantage of the characteristic symplastic continuity of plant cells, viruses need to remodel and/or modify the restricted pore size of the plasmodesmata (channels that connect plant cells). In a successful interaction for the virus, it can reach the vascular tissue to systematically invade the plant. The connections between the different cell types in this path are not designed to allow the passage of molecules with the complexity of viruses. During this process, viruses face different cell barriers that must be overcome to reach the distal parts of the plant. In this review, we highlight the current knowledge about how plant RNA viruses enter plant cells, move between them to reach vascular cells and overcome the different physical and cellular barriers that the phloem imposes. Finally, we update the current research on cellular organelles as key regulator checkpoints in the long-distance movement of plant viruses.

The roles of membranes and associated cytoskeleton in plant virus replication and cell-to-cell movement

The infection of plants by viruses depends on cellular mechanisms that support the replication of the viral genomes, and the cell-to-cell and systemic movement of the virus via plasmodesmata (PD) and the connected phloem. While the propagation of some viruses requires the conventional endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-Golgi pathway, others replicate and spread between cells in association with the ER and are independent of this pathway. Using selected viruses as examples, this review re-examines the involvement of membranes and the cytoskeleton during virus infection and proposes potential roles of class VIII myosins and membrane-tethering proteins in controlling viral functions at specific ER subdomains, such as cortical microtubule-associated ER sites, ER-plasma membrane contact sites, and PD.

Dual targeting of a virus movement protein to ER and plasma membrane subdomains is essential for plasmodesmata localization

Plant virus movement proteins (MPs) localize to plasmodesmata (PD) to facilitate virus cell-to-cell movement. Numerous studies have suggested that MPs use a pathway either through the ER or through the plasma membrane (PM). Furthermore, recent studies reported that ER-PM contact sites and PM microdomains, which are subdomains found in the ER and PM, are involved in virus cell-to-cell movement. However, functional relationship of these subdomains in MP traffic to PD has not been described previously. We demonstrate here the intracellular trafficking of fig mosaic virus MP (MPFMV) using live cell imaging, focusing on its ER-directing signal peptide (SPFMV). Transiently expressed MPFMV was distributed predominantly in PD and patchy microdomains of the PM. Investigation of ER translocation efficiency revealed that SPFMV has quite low efficiency compared with SPs of well-characterized plant proteins, calreticulin and CLAVATA3. An MPFMV mutant lacking SPFMV localized exclusively to the PM microdomains, whereas SP chimeras, in which the SP of MPFMV was replaced by an SP of calreticulin or CLAVATA3, localized exclusively to the nodes of the ER, which was labeled with Arabidopsis synaptotagmin 1, a major component of ER-PM contact sites. From these results, we speculated that the low translocation efficiency of SPFMV contributes to the generation of ER-translocated and the microdomain-localized populations, both of which are necessary for PD localization. Consistent with this hypothesis, SP-deficient MPFMV became localized to PD when co-expressed with an SP chimera. Here we propose a new model for the intracellular trafficking of a viral MP. A substantial portion of MPFMV that fails to be translocated is transferred to the microdomains, whereas the remainder of MPFMV that is successfully translocated into the ER subsequently localizes to ER-PM contact sites and plays an important role in the entry of the microdomain-localized MPFMV into PD.

Plasmodesmata: channels for viruses on the move

The symplastic communication network established by plasmodesmata (PD) and connected phloem provides an essential pathway for spatiotemporal intercellular signaling in plant development but is also exploited by viruses for moving their genomes between cells in order to infect plants systemically. Virus movement depends on virus-encoded movement proteins (MPs) that target PD and therefore represent important keys to the cellular mechanisms underlying the intercellular trafficking of viruses and other macromolecules. Viruses and their MPs have evolved different mechanisms for intracellular transport and interaction with PD. Some viruses move from cell to cell by interacting with cellular mechanisms that control the size exclusion limit of PD whereas other viruses alter the PD architecture through assembly of specialized transport structures within the channel. Some viruses move between cells in the form of assembled virus particles whereas other viruses may interact with nucleic acid transport mechanisms to move their genomes in a non-encapsidated form. Moreover, whereas several viruses rely on the secretory pathway to target PD, other viruses interact with the cortical endoplasmic reticulum and associated cytoskeleton to spread infection. This chapter provides an introduction into viruses and their role in studying the diverse cellular mechanisms involved in intercellular PD-mediated macromolecular trafficking.

Dissecting the molecular network of virus-plant interactions: the complex roles of host factors

A successful infection by a plant virus results from the complex molecular interplay between the host plant and the invading virus. Thus, dissecting the molecular network of virus-host interactions advances the understanding of the viral infection process and may assist in the development of novel antiviral strategies. In the past decade, molecular identification and functional characterization of host factors in the virus life cycle, particularly single-stranded, positive-sense RNA viruses, have been a research focus in plant virology. As a result, a number of host factors have been identified. These host factors are implicated in all the major steps of the infection process. Some host factors are diverted for the viral genome translation, some are recruited to improvise the viral replicase complexes for genome multiplication, and others are components of transport complexes for cell-to-cell spread via plasmodesmata and systemic movement through the phloem. This review summarizes current knowledge about host factors and discusses future research directions.

mRNA-based protein targeting to the endoplasmic reticulum and chloroplasts in plant cells

The targeting of proteins to subcellular organelles is specified by the presence of signal/leader peptide sequences normally located on the N-terminus. In the past two decades, messenger RNA (mRNA) localization, a pathway driven by cis-acting localization elements within the RNA sequence, has emerged as an alternative mechanism for protein targeting to specific locations in the cytoplasm, on the endoplasmic reticulum or to mitochondria and chloroplasts. In this review, we will summarize studies on mRNA-based protein targeting to the endoplasmic reticulum and chloroplast within plant cells.

Traffic into silence: endomembranes and post-transcriptional RNA silencing

microRNAs (miRNAs) and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are small RNAs that repress gene expression at the post-transcriptional level in plants and animals. Small RNAs guide Argonaute-containing RNA-induced silencing complexes to target RNAs in a sequence-specific manner, resulting in mRNA deadenylation followed by exonucleolytic decay, mRNA endonucleolytic cleavage, or translational inhibition. Although our knowledge of small RNA biogenesis, turnover, and mechanisms of action has dramatically expanded in the past decade, the subcellular location of small RNA-mediated RNA silencing still needs to be defined. In contrast to the prevalent presumption that RNA silencing occurs in the cytosol, emerging evidence reveals connections between the endomembrane system and small RNA activities in plants and animals. Here, we summarize the work that uncovered this link between small RNAs and endomembrane compartments and present an overview of the involvement of the endomembrane system in various aspects of RNA silencing. We propose that the endomembrane system is an integral component of RNA silencing that has been long overlooked and predict that a marriage between cell biology and RNA biology holds the key to a full understanding of post-transcriptional gene regulation by small RNAs.

The Arabidopsis synaptotagmin SYTA regulates the cell-to-cell movement of diverse plant viruses

Synaptotagmins are a large gene family in animals that have been extensively characterized due to their role as calcium sensors to regulate synaptic vesicle exocytosis and endocytosis in neurons, and dense core vesicle exocytosis for hormone secretion from neuroendocrine cells. Thought to be exclusive to animals, synaptotagmins have recently been characterized in Arabidopsis thaliana, in which they comprise a five gene family. Using infectivity and leaf-based functional assays, we have shown that Arabidopsis SYTA regulates endocytosis and marks an endosomal vesicle recycling pathway to regulate movement protein-mediated trafficking of the Begomovirus Cabbage leaf curl virus (CaLCuV) and the Tobamovirus Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) through plasmodesmata (Lewis and Lazarowitz, 2010). To determine whether SYTA has a central role in regulating the cell-to-cell trafficking of a wider range of diverse plant viruses, we extended our studies here to examine the role of SYTA in the cell-to-cell movement of additional plant viruses that employ different modes of movement, namely the Potyvirus Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV), the Caulimovirus Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) and the Tobamovirus Turnip vein clearing virus (TVCV), which in contrast to TMV does efficiently infect Arabidopsis. We found that both TuMV and TVCV systemic infection, and the cell-to-cell trafficking of the their movement proteins, were delayed in the Arabidopsis Col-0 syta-1 knockdown mutant. In contrast, CaMV systemic infection was not inhibited in syta-1. Our studies show that SYTA is a key regulator of plant virus intercellular movement, being necessary for the ability of diverse cell-to-cell movement proteins encoded by Begomoviruses (CaLCuV MP), Tobamoviruses (TVCV and TMV 30K protein) and Potyviruses (TuMV P3N-PIPO) to alter PD and thereby mediate virus cell-to-cell spread.

Endoplasmic reticulum export and vesicle formation of the movement protein of Chinese wheat mosaic virus are regulated by two transmembrane domains and depend on the secretory pathway

The 37K protein of Chinese wheat mosaic virus (CWMV) belongs to the 30K superfamily of plant virus movement proteins. CWMV 37K trans-complemented the cell-to-cell spread of a movement-defective Potato virus X. CWMV 37K fused to enhanced green fluorescent protein localized to plasmodesmata and formed endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-derived vesicular and large aggregate structures. CWMV 37K has two putative N-terminal transmembrane domains (TMDs). Mutations disrupting TMD1 or TMD2 impaired 37K movement function; those mutants were unable to form ER-derived structures but instead accumulated in the ER. Treatment with Brefeldin A or overexpression of the dominant negative mutant of Sar1 retained 37K in the ER, indicating that ER export of 37K is dependent on the secretory pathway. Moreover, CWMV 37K interacted with pectin methylesterases and mutations in TMD1 or TMD2 impaired this interaction in planta. The results suggest that the two TMDs regulate the movement function and intracellular transport of 37K.

Intracellular transport of plant viruses: finding the door out of the cell

Plant viruses are a class of plant pathogens that specialize in movement from cell to cell. As part of their arsenal for infection of plants, every virus encodes a movement protein (MP), a protein dedicated to enlarging the pore size of plasmodesmata (PD) and actively transporting the viral nucleic acid into the adjacent cell. As our knowledge of intercellular transport has increased, it has become apparent that viruses must also use an active mechanism to target the virus from their site of replication within the cell to the PD. Just as viruses are too large to fit through an unmodified plasmodesma, they are also too large to be freely diffused through the cytoplasm of the cell. Evidence has accumulated now for the involvement of other categories of viral proteins in intracellular movement in addition to the MP, including viral proteins originally associated with replication or gene expression. In this review, we will discuss the strategies that viruses use for intracellular movement from the replication site to the PD, in particular focusing on the role of host membranes for intracellular transport and the coordinated interactions between virus proteins within cells that are necessary for successful virus spread.

To gate, or not to gate: regulatory mechanisms for intercellular protein transport and virus movement in plants

Cell-to-cell signal transduction is vital for orchestrating the whole-body physiology of multi-cellular organisms, and many endogenous macromolecules, proteins, and nucleic acids function as such transported signals. In plants, many of these molecules are transported through plasmodesmata (Pd), the cell wall-spanning channel structures that interconnect plant cells. Furthermore, Pd also act as conduits for cell-to-cell movement of most plant viruses that have evolved to pirate these channels to spread the infection. Pd transport is presumed to be highly selective, and only a limited repertoire of molecules is transported through these channels. Recent studies have begun to unravel mechanisms that actively regulate the opening of the Pd channel to allow traffic. This macromolecular transport between cells comprises two consecutive steps: intracellular targeting to Pd and translocation through the channel to the adjacent cell. Here, we review the current knowledge of molecular species that are transported though Pd and the mechanisms that control this traffic. Generally, Pd traffic can occur by passive diffusion through the trans-Pd cytoplasm or through the membrane/lumen of the trans-Pd ER, or by active transport that includes protein-protein interactions. It is this latter mode of Pd transport that is involved in intercellular traffic of most signal molecules and is regulated by distinct and sometimes interdependent mechanisms, which represent the focus of this article.

Viral cell-to-cell movement requires formation of cortical punctate structures containing Red clover necrotic mosaic virus movement protein

Movement protein (MP) of Red clover necrotic mosaic virus (RCNMV) forms punctate structures on the cortical endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of Nicotiana benthamiana cells, which are associated with viral RNA1 replication (Kaido et al., Virology 395, 232-242. 2009). We investigated the significance of ER-targeting by MP during virus movement from cell to cell, by analyzing the function of a series of MPs with varying length deletions at their C-terminus, either fused or not fused with green fluorescent protein (GFP). The C-terminal 70 amino acids were crucial to ER-localization of MP-GFP and cell-to-cell movement of the recombinant virus encoding it. However, C-terminal deletion did not affect MP functions, such as increasing the size exclusion limit of plasmodesmata, single-stranded RNA binding in vitro, and MP interacting in vivo. We discuss the possible role of this MP region in virus movement from cell to cell.

Cellular pathways for viral transport through plasmodesmata

Plant viruses use plasmodesmata (PD) to spread infection between cells and systemically. Dependent on viral species, movement through PD can occur in virion or non-virion form, and requires different mechanisms for targeting and modification of the pore. These mechanisms are supported by viral movement proteins and by other virus-encoded factors that interact among themselves and with plant cellular components to facilitate virus movement in a coordinated and regulated fashion.

Intracellular transport of viruses and their components: utilizing the cytoskeleton and membrane highways

Plant viruses are obligate organisms that require host components for movement within and between cells. A mechanistic understanding of virus movement will allow the identification of new methods to control virus systemic spread and serve as a model system for understanding host macromolecule intra- and intercellular transport. Recent studies have moved beyond the identification of virus proteins involved in virus movement and their effect on plasmodesmal size exclusion limits to the analysis of their interactions with host components to allow movement within and between cells. It is clear that individual virus proteins and replication complexes associate with and, in some cases, traffic along the host cytoskeleton and membranes. Here, we review these recent findings, highlighting the diverse associations observed between these components and their trafficking capacity. Plant viruses operate individually, sometimes within virus species, to utilize unique interactions between their proteins or complexes and individual host cytoskeletal or membrane elements over time or space for their movement. However, there is not sufficient information for any plant virus to create a complete model of its intracellular movement; thus, more research is needed to achieve that goal.

The Intra- and intercellular movement of Melon necrotic spot virus (MNSV) depends on an active secretory pathway

Plant viruses hijack endogenous host transport machinery to aid their intracellular spread. Here, we study the localization of the p7B, the membrane-associated viral movement protein (MP) of the Melon necrotic spot virus (MNSV), and also the potential involvement of the secretory pathway on the p7B targeting and intra- and intercellular virus movements. p7B fused to fluorescent proteins was located throughout the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) at motile Golgi apparatus (GA) stacks that actively tracked the actin microfilaments, and at the plasmodesmata (PD). Hence, the secretory pathway inhibitor, Brefeldin A (BFA), and the overexpression of the GTPase-defective mutant of Sar1p, Sar1[H74L], fully retained the p7B within the ER, revealing that the protein is delivered to PD in a BFA-sensitive and COPII-dependent manner. Disruption of the actin cytoskeleton with latrunculin B led to the accumulation of p7B in the ER, which strongly suggests that p7B is also targeted to the cell periphery in an actin-dependent manner. Remarkably, the local spread of the viral infection was significantly restricted either with the presence of BFA or under the overexpression of Sar1[H74L], thus revealing the involvement of an active secretory pathway in the intracellular movement of MNSV. Overall, these findings support a novel route for the intracellular transport of a plant virus led by the GA.

Endoplasmic reticulum targeting of the Red clover necrotic mosaic virus movement protein is associated with the replication of viral RNA1 but not that of RNA2

Red clover necrotic mosaic virus (RCNMV) is a positive-strand RNA virus with a bipartite genome. The movement protein (MP) encoded by RNA2 is essential for viral movement. To obtain further insights into the viral movement mechanism, subcellular localizations of RCNMV MP fused with green fluorescent protein (MP:GFP) were examined in Nicotiana benthamiana epidermal cells and protoplasts. The MP:GFP expressed from the recombinant virus first appeared in the cell wall and subsequently was observed on the cortical endoplasmic reticulum (ER) as punctate spots. In contrast, the MP:GFP expressed transiently in the absence of other viral components was localized exclusively in the cell wall. Transient expression of the MP:GFP with a variety of RCNMV components revealed that the ER localization of the MP:GFP was associated with RNA1 replication, or its negative-strand RNA synthesis, but not those of RNA2 or replicase proteins per se. A model of RCNMV cell-to-cell movement is discussed.

Interaction of the Tobacco mosaic virus movement protein with microtubules during the cell cycle in tobacco BY-2 cells

Cell-to-cell movement of Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) involves the interaction of virus-encoded 30-kDa movement protein (MP) with microtubules. In cells behind the infection front that accumulate high levels of MP, this activity is reflected by the formation of stabilized MP/microtubule complexes. The ability of MP to bind along and stabilize microtubules is conserved upon expression in mammalian cells. In mammalian cells, the protein also leads to inhibition of mitosis and cell division through a microtubule-independent process correlated with the loss of centrosomal gamma-tubulin and of centrosomal microtubule-nucleation activity. Since MP has the capacity to interact with plant factors involved in microtubule nucleation and dynamics, we used inducible expression in BY-2 cells to test whether MP expression inhibits mitosis and cell division also in plants. We demonstrate that MP:GFP associates with all plant microtubule arrays and, unlike in mammalian cells, does not interfere with mitosis. Thus, MP function and the interaction of MP with factors of the cytoskeleton do not entail an inhibition of mitosis in plants. We also report that the protein targets primary plasmodesmata in BY-2 cells immediately upon or during cytokinesis and that the accumulation of MP in plasmodesmata occurs in the presence of inhibitors of the cytoskeleton and the secretory pathway.

Cell-to-cell trafficking, subcellular distribution, and binding to coat protein of Broad bean wilt virus 2 VP37 protein

Broad bean wilt virus 2 (BBWV 2) is a member of the genus Fabavirus of the family Comoviridae. To date, a movement protein (MP) of BBWV 2 has not been described. Here we demonstrate that the green fluorescent protein (GFP)-VP37 fusion protein can move from initial bombarded cells to neighboring cells in Nicotiana benthamiana epidermal leaves. In addition, the GFP-VP37 fusion protein localizes as a halo around the nucleus and as punctate spots on the cell periphery in N. benthamiana epidermal leaf cells and BY-2 suspension cells. Fluorescence near the nucleus also was co-localized with the endoplasmic reticulum in BY-2 cells. Fibrous networks were found in GFP-VP37 agro-infiltrated N. benthamiana epidermal leaf cells. Deletion analyses indicated that the C-terminal region of the VP37 protein is essential for localization at the cell periphery. Using a blot overlay assay and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assay, the purified 6xHis-tagged VP37 protein was shown to bind specifically to the small coat protein of BBWV 2. The above results indicate that VP37 is a movement protein.

Over-expression of putative transcriptional coactivator KELP interferes with Tomato mosaic virus cell-to-cell movement

Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) encodes a movement protein (MP) that is necessary for virus cell-to-cell movement. We have demonstrated previously that KELP, a putative transcriptional coactivator of Arabidopsis thaliana, and its orthologue from Brassica campestris can bind to ToMV MP in vitro. In this study, we examined the effects of the transient over-expression of KELP on ToMV infection and the intracellular localization of MP in Nicotiana benthamiana, an experimental host of the virus. In co-bombardment experiments, the over-expression of KELP inhibited virus cell-to-cell movement. The N-terminal half of KELP (KELPdC), which had been shown to bind to MP, was sufficient for inhibition. Furthermore, the over-expression of KELP and KELPdC, both of which were co-localized with ToMV MP, led to a reduction in the plasmodesmal association of MP. In the absence of MP expression, KELP was localized in the nucleus and the cytoplasm by the localization signal in its N-terminal half. It was also shown that ToMV amplified normally in protoplasts prepared from leaf tissue that expressed KELP transiently. These results indicate that over-expressed KELP interacts with MP in vivo and exerts an inhibitory effect on MP function for virus cell-to-cell movement, but not on virus amplification in individual cells.

Plasmodesmata: structure, function and biogenesis

Plasmodesmata remain one of the outstanding mysteries in plant biology. In providing conduits for the exchange of small and large, informational molecules they are central to the growth, development and defence of all higher plants. In the past few years, strategies have been devised for the molecular dissection of plasmodesmal composition and function, and we are beginning to see how these enigmatic structures will become to be understood.

Specific targeting of a plasmodesmal protein affecting cell-to-cell communication

Plasmodesmata provide the cytoplasmic conduits for cell-to-cell communication throughout plant tissues and participate in a diverse set of non–cell-autonomous functions. Despite their central role in growth and development and defence, resolving their modus operandi remains a major challenge in plant biology. Features of protein sequences and/or structure that determine protein targeting to plasmodesmata were previously unknown. We identify here a novel family of plasmodesmata-located proteins (called PDLP1) whose members have the features of type I membrane receptor-like proteins. We focus our studies on the first identified type member (namely At5g43980, or PDLP1a) and show that, following its altered expression, it is effective in modulating cell-to-cell trafficking. PDLP1a is targeted to plasmodesmata via the secretory pathway in a Brefeldin A–sensitive and COPII-dependent manner, and resides at plasmodesmata with its C-terminus in the cytoplasmic domain and its N-terminus in the apoplast. Using a deletion analysis, we show that the single transmembrane domain (TMD) of PDLP1a contains all the information necessary for intracellular targeting of this type I membrane protein to plasmodesmata, such that the TMD can be used to target heterologous proteins to this location. These studies identify a new family of plasmodesmal proteins that affect cell-to-cell communication. They exhibit a mode of intracellular trafficking and targeting novel for plant biology and provide technological opportunities for targeting different proteins to plasmodesmata to aid in plasmodesmal characterisation.

In plants, cylindrical, microscopic channels called plasmodesmata provide intracellular connections between cells for communication and material transport, and are important for many aspects of plant growth and defence. We identify a novel family of plasmodesmata-located proteins (called PDLP1) with features of type I membrane receptor-like proteins. In line with the potential for this protein to regulate molecular movement from cell to cell, we show that altered expression of the protein changes the efficiency of protein diffusion from plasmodesmata. We have also analysed the manner in which PDLP1 is transported to plasmodesmata. We show that the single transmembrane domain (TMD) of the protein contains all the information necessary for targeting to plasmodesmata and that proper targeting depends upon specific interactions with other factors within the membrane. Notably, a single amino acid close to the C-terminus of the TMD is critical for determining the intracellular destination. Further, by fusing the TMD to yellow fluorescent protein, we establish that the TMD can be used to target heterologous proteins to plasmodesmata.

Little is know about the structure and function of plant cell-to-cell connections, called plasmodesmata. This paper describes a new family of plasmodesmal proteins and the processes controlling their subcellular trafficking.

Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) replicase and movement protein function synergistically in facilitating TMV spread by lateral diffusion in the plasmodesmal desmotubule of Nicotiana benthamiana

Virus spread through plasmodesmata (Pd) is mediated by virus-encoded movement proteins (MPs) that modify Pd structure and function. The MP of Tobacco mosaic virus ((TMV)MP) is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) integral membrane protein that binds viral RNA (vRNA), forming a vRNA:MP:ER complex. It has been hypothesized that (TMV)MP causes Pd to dilate, thus potentiating a cytoskeletal mediated sliding of the vRNA:MP:ER complex through Pd; in the absence of MP, by contrast, the ER cannot move through Pd. An alternate model proposes that cell-to-cell spread takes place by diffusion of the MP:vRNA complex in the ER membranes which traverse Pd. To test these models, we measured the effect of (TMV)MP and replicase expression on cell-to-cell spread of several green fluorescent protein-fused probes: a soluble cytoplasmic protein, two ER lumen proteins, and two ER membrane-bound proteins. Our data support the diffusion model in which a complex that includes ER-embedded MP, vRNA, and other components diffuses in the ER membrane within the Pd driven by the concentration gradient between an infected cell and adjacent noninfected cells. The data also suggest that the virus replicase and MP function together in altering Pd conductivity.

Intracellular trafficking of Potato leafroll virus movement protein in transgenic Arabidopsis

Intracellular trafficking of viral movement proteins (MPs) in plants has mainly been studied using Tobacco mosaic virus MP30 (TMV MP30) as a model system. Because of the limitations of TMV MP30 expression in Arabidopsis thaliana, these studies have mostly been restricted to tobacco plants. Here we present data on the analysis of transgenic Arabidopsis plants expressing Potato leafroll virus 17-kDa movement protein (MP17) fused to green fluorescent protein. MP17 localizes to secondary branched plasmodesmata (PD) in source but not to simple PD in sink tissues, where MP17 is believed to be degraded by proteolysis. To unravel the intracellular transport path of MP17, we analyzed the relevance of the cytoskeleton and of the secretory pathway on MP17 targeting. To this end, a new incubation system for in vivo analysis of immediate and long-term responses of whole Arabidopsis plants to inhibitor treatments was established. Microscopic and histochemical analysis showed that MP17 is targeted to PD in an actin- and endoplasmic reticulum-Golgi-dependent manner. In contrast, degradation of MP17 in sink tissues required intact microtubules and occurred at 26S proteasomes. Interestingly, inhibition of the 26S proteasome led to aggregation of MP17 in aggresome-like structures. Formation of these structures could be inhibited by colchicine, as was shown for aggresomes in mammalian cells.