Summary
The RNA genomes of some plant viruses have properties which make them suitable for development into vectors for gene transfer. It has been claimed that the low fidelity of RNA synthesizing enzymes may limit the usefulness of such vectors. Arguments are presented here to indicate that the problem may not be serious. Examples are presented of plant RNA replicons which carry relatively stable coding sequences whose products are superfluous to either the replicon or the host. In addition, there are numerous instances in which slowly replicating virus strains are maintained in ‘pure’ culture in a host and are not overgrown by more rapidly replicating strains. It is difficult to estimate the error frequency of RNA replicating enzymes. Methods which rely on host-shift may be subject to error.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bawden FC: Reversible changes in strains of tobacco mosaic virus from leguminous plants. J Gen Microbiol 18:751–766, 1958.
Brisson N, Pastzkowski J, Penswick R, Gronnenborn B, Potrykus I, Hohn T: Expression of a bacterial gene in plants by using a viral vector. Nature 310:511–514, 1984.
Cohen M, Siegel A, Zaitlin M, Hudson WR, Wildman SG: A study of tobacco mosaic virus strain predominance and an hypothesis for the origin of systemic virus infection. Phytopathology 47:694–702, 1957.
Diener T, Raymer W: Potato spindle tuber virus: a plant virus with properties of a free nucleic acid. Science 158:378–381, 1967.
Hariharasubramanian V, Smith RC, Zaitlin M: Insoluble coat protein mutants of TMV: their origin and characterization of the defective coat proteins. Virology 55:202–210, 1973.
Hubert JJ, Bourque DP, Zaitlin M: A tobacco mosaic virus mutant with non-functional coat protein and its revertant: relationship to the assembly process. J Mol Biol 108:789–798, 1976.
Siegel A: Variation in tobacco mosaic virus RNA and capsid protein. In: Markham R, Horne RW (eds) Structure-function relationship of proteins. Elsevier/North Holland, Amsterdam, 1976.
Siegel A, Hari V: Plant viruses. In: Carlson PS (ed) The biology of crop productivity. Academic Press, New York, 1980.
Siegel A, Zaitlin M: Defective plant viruses. In: Pollard M (ed) Perspectives in virology IV. Hoeber Medical Divn, Harper and Row, New York, 1965.
Siegel A, Zaitlin M, Sehgal O: The isolation of defective tobacco mosaic virus strains. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 48:1845–1851, 1962.
Van Vloten-Doting L: Advantages of multipartite genomes of single-stranded RNA plant viruses in nature, for research and genetic engineering. Plant Mol Biol Reporter 1:55–60, 1983.
Van Vloten-Doting L, Bol J, Cornelisson B: Plant-virus-based vectors for gene transfer will be of limited use because of the high error frequency during vital RNA synthesis. Plant Mol Biol 4:323–326, 1985.
Zaitlin M: Viral cross protection: more understanding is needed. Phytopathology 66: 382–383, 1976.
Zaitlin M, Beachy RN, Bruening G: Lack of molecular hybridization between RNAs of two strains of TMV: a reconsideration of the criteria for strain relationships. Virology 82:237–241, 1977.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Siegel, A. Plant-virus-based vectors for gene transfer may be of considerable use despite a presumed high error frequency during RNA synthesis. Plant Mol Biol 4, 327–329 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02418254
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02418254