Interacciones Moleculares Planta-Virus-Vector

TITLE

BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF A CHIMERIC POTYVIRUS

ABSTRACT

HCPro is a non-structural protein of Potyviruses that plays two key functions in the viral infectious cycle: on the one hand, it neutralizes the antiviral defenses of the plant that are based on gene silencing, allowing for the successful dispersal of infection within the plant.  On the other hand, it is required for the dispersal of the infection to other plants through insect vectors.  HCPro might regulate viral titers in the environment conditions in which plants and viruses interact during compatible infections, to allow for infections to persist. 

In our studies on HCPro functions we have created a viral chimera between two potyviruses, which expresses the P1-HCPro bi-cistron from Potato virus Y (PVY), and the remaining viral cistrons and non-coding regions from Plum pox virus (PPV).  Both viruses have a different host range: PPV infects Prunus trees and also the experimental plant Arabidopsis thaliana, but does not infect most solanaceous plants.  By contrast, PVY does infect most solanaceous plants, but neither arabidopsis nor Prunus plants.  PPV and PVY can both infect the experimental host Nicotiana benthamiana, as does the chimera

The student will participate in work aimed at:

-Determining the plant host range of the chimeric virus relative to those of the parental viruses

-Assessing whether the chimera can be transmitted by insect vectors

-Assessing through serial passages the adaptation of the chimeric virus to its host