Comparative Analyses of Tomato yellow leaf curl virus C4 Protein-Interacting Host Proteins in Healthy and Infected Tomato Tissues

Abstract

Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV), a member of the genus Begomovirus, is one of the most important viruses of cultivated tomatoes worldwide, mainly causing yellowing and curling of leaves with stunting in plants. TYLCV causes severe problems in sub-tropical and tropical countries, as well as in Korea. However, the mechanism of TYLCV infection remains unclear, although the function of each viral component has been identified. TYLCV C4 codes for a small protein involved in various cellular functions, including symptom determination, gene silencing, viral movement, and induction of the plant defense response. In this study, through yeast-two hybrid screenings, we identified TYLCV C4-interacting host proteins from both healthy and symptom-exhibiting tomato tissues, to determine the role of TYLCV C4 proteins in the infection processes. Comparative analyses of 28 proteins from healthy tissues and 36 from infected tissues showing interactions with TYLCV C4 indicated that TYLCV C4 mainly interacts with host proteins involved in translation, ubiquitination, and plant defense, and most interacting proteins differed between the two tissues but belong to similar molecular functional categories. Four proteins—two ribosomal proteins, S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine hydrolase, and 14-3-3 family protein—were detected in both tissues. Furthermore, the identified proteins in symptom-exhibiting tissues showed greater involvement in plant defenses. Some are key regulators, such as receptor-like kinases and pathogenesis-related proteins, of plant defenses. Thus, TYLCV C4 may contribute to the suppression of host defense during TYLCV infection and be involved in ubiquitination for viral infection.

Peanut Stunt Virus and Its Satellite RNA Trigger Changes in Phosphorylation in N. benthamiana Infected Plants at the Early Stage of the Infection

“…They are also indicated to play a role in plant immune responses. These 14-3-3 proteins were identified as putative key regulators of the response to Tomato yellow leaf curl virus infecting tomato plants [ 47 ].…”

Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of Two Cucumber Cultivars with Different Sensitivity to Cucumber Mosaic Virus Infection

“…It has been shown, that the 26S proteasome system participates in degradation of TMV MP, specific inhibition experiments, however, have indicated that TMV infection rather benefits from this process [66]. Plant aspartate protease Asp1 interacted with the begomoviral C4 protein in the yeast two-hybrid system [67], which may indicate its activity and intervention during viral infection. The NRT1/PTR family proteins (nitrate/peptide transporters) take part in abscisic acid transport in plant tissues [68].…”

The Involvement of Heat Shock Proteins in the Establishment of Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus Infection

“…TYLCSV C2 interacts with the COP9 subunit of the signalosome (CSN), a complex involved in the regulation of the ubiquitination, preventing tagging the virus for destruction ( Lozano-Durân et al, 2011 ). TYLCV C4 protein interacts with tomato plant defense proteins ( Kim et al, 2016 ).…”