Reciprocal function of movement proteins and complementation of long-distance movement of Cymbidium mosaic virus RNA by Odontoglossum ringspot virus coat protein

Abstract

Complementation of movement and coat proteins of the orchid-infecting potexvirus Cymbidium mosaic virus (CymMV) and tobamovirus Odontoglossum ringspot virus (ORSV) was investigated. Nicotiana benthamiana, which is susceptible to both CymMV and ORSV, was used as a model system. Four transgenic lines, each harbouring one of the movement protein (MP) or coat protein (CP) genes of CymMV or ORSV, were constructed. The MP of CymMV consists of three overlapping open reading frames, together called the triple-gene block (TGB). CymMV and ORSV mutants, each carrying an inactivated MP or CP, were generated from the respective biologically active full-length cDNA clones. Complementation was studied by infecting transgenic plants with in vitro transcripts generated from these mutants. The cell-to-cell movement of a movement-deficient CymMV was restored in transgenic plants carrying the ORSV MP transgene. Similarly, CymMV TGB1 transgenic plants were able to rescue the cell-to-cell movement of a movement-deficient ORSV mutant. ORSV CP transgenic plants supported systemic movement of a CymMV CP-deficient mutant. However, in these plants, neither encapsidation of CymMV RNA with ORSV CP nor CymMV CP expression was detected. Long-distance movement of an ORSV CP-deficient mutant was not supported by CymMV CP. The complementation of MPs and CPs of CymMV and ORSV facilitates movement of these viruses in plants, except for long-distance movement of ORSV RNA by CymMV CP.