Tobacco mosaic virus: a pioneer to cell–to–cell movement

Abstract

Cell–to–cell movement of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) is used to illustrate macromolecular traffic through plant intercellular connections, the plasmodesmata. This transport process is mediated by a specialized viral movement protein, P30. In the initially infected cell, P30 is produced by transcription of a subgenomic RNA derived from the invading virus. Presumably, P30 then associates with a certain proportion of the viral RNA molecules, sequestering them from replication and mediating their transport into neighbouring uninfected host cells. This nucleoprotein complex is targeted to plasmodesmata, possibly via interaction with the host cell cytoskeleton. Prior to passage through a plasmodesma, the plasmodesmal channel is dilated by the movement protein. It is proposed that targeting of P30–TMV RNA complexes to plasmodesmata involves binding to a specific cell wall–associated receptor molecule. In addition, a cell wall–associated protein kinase, phosphorylates P30 at its carboxy–terminus and minimizes P30–induced interference with plasmodesmatal permeability during viral infection.