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P4 protein of an Indian isolate of rice tungro bacilliform virus modulates gene silencing

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Abstract

Plant hosts and their viral pathogens are engaged in a constant cycle of defense and counter-defense as part of a molecular arms race, principal among them being the plant RNAi defense and the viral RNAi suppressor counter-defense. Rice tungro bacilliform virus (RTBV), member of the family Caulimoviridae, genus Tungrovirus, species Tungrovirus oryzae, infects rice in South- and Southeast Asia and causes severe symptoms of stunting, yellow-orange discoloration and twisting of leaf tips. To better understand the possible counter-defensive roles of RTBV against the host RNAi defense system, we explored the ability of the P4 protein of an Indian isolate of RTBV to act as a possible modulator of RNAi. Using a transient silencing and silencing suppression assay in Nicotiana benthamiana, we show that P4 not only displays an RNAi suppressor function, but also potentially enhances RNAi. The results also suggests that the N-terminal 168 amino acid residues of P4 are sufficient to maintain RNAi suppressor activity. Taken together with the earlier reports this work strengthens the view that the P4 protein carries out RNAi suppressor and a potential RNAi enhancer function.

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The data generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available in the manuscript itself.

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Funding

MN acknowledges Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship by University Grants Commission, New Delhi. ID acknowledges the financial support from University of Delhi (R&D and DU-DST PURSE) for this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Molecular Biology, University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi, 110021, India

    Madhvi Naresh, Arunima Purkayastha & Indranil Dasgupta

Authors
  1. Madhvi Naresh
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  2. Arunima Purkayastha
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  3. Indranil Dasgupta
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Contributions

ID planned and conceived the experiments, AP cloned the viral genes, MN performed infiltrations, cloning, northern blot analysis, PCR-based assays, quantitative assays, ID acquired the funds and MN and ID wrote the paper.

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Correspondence to Indranil Dasgupta.

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Naresh, M., Purkayastha, A. & Dasgupta, I. P4 protein of an Indian isolate of rice tungro bacilliform virus modulates gene silencing. Virus Genes 60, 55–64 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11262-023-02039-2

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