Agrobacterium-mediated inoculation of Nicotiana benthamiana plants with Ti plasmids containing tandem genome repeats derived from different strains of the geminivirus beet curly top virus (BCTV) resulted in the production of unit-length recombinant progeny genomes in systemically infected plants. When two putative plus-strand orgins of replication were present in constructs used as inocula, a replicational escape mechanism was favored that resulted in progeny genomes of a single predominant genotype. The genotype was dependent upon the arrangement of repeated parental genomes in the inocula. Sequencing across thejunction between parental BCTV strains in the recombinant progeny allowed mapping of the plus-strand origin of replication to a 20-base-pair sequence within the conserved hairpin found in all geminivirus genomes. In contrast, when inocula contained tandemly repeated BCTV genome sequences but only a single conserved hairpin, a number of different progeny genotypes were simultaneously replicated in infected plants, a result expected if unit-length viral genomes were generated by random intramolecular recombination events. These results and other considerations indicate that geminivirus DNA replication occurs by a rollingcircle mechanism.

The genome of the geminivirus tomato golden mosaic virus (TGMV) is divided between two DNA components, designated A and B, which differ in sequence except for a 230-nucleotide common region. The A genome component is known to encode viral functions necessary for viral DNA replication, while the B genome component specifies functions necessary for spread of the virus through the infected plant. To identify cis-acting sequences required for viral DNA replication, severa1 mutants were constructed by the introduction of small insertions into TGMV B at selected sites within and just outside the common region. Other mutants had the common region inverted or deleted. AI1 of the mutants were tested for their effects on infectivity and DNA replication in whole plants and leaf discs. Our results indicate that the common region in its correct orientation is required for infectivity and for replication of TGMV B. Furthermore, the conserved hairpin loop sequence located within the TGMV common region and found in all geminiviruses is necessary for DNA replication, and may be part of the viral replication origin.

The genome of the geminivirus tomato golden mosaic virus (TGMV) is divided between two DNA components, designated A and B, which differ in sequence except for a 230-nucleotide common region. The A genome component is known to encode viral functions necessary for viral DNA replication, while the B genome component specifies functions necessary for spread of the virus through the infected plant. To identify cis-acting sequences required for viral DNA replication, several mutants were constructed by the introduction of small insertions into TGMV B at selected sites within and just outside the common region. Other mutants had the common region inverted or deleted. All of the mutants were tested for their effects on infectivity and DNA replication in whole plants and leaf discs. Our results indicate that the common region in its correct orientation is required for infectivity and for replication of TGMV B. Furthermore, the conserved hairpin loop sequence located within the TGMV common region and found in all geminiviruses is necessary for DNA replication, and may be part of the viral replication origin.

No abstract