Background
Infecting more than 1200 dicotyledonous and monocotyledonous plant species, cucumber mosaic virus (CMV; genus
Cucumovirus, family
Bromoviridae) is one of the most important viruses worldwide [
10,
27,
30]. CMV induces various kinds of symptoms, which depend on the host plant species and virus strain, ranging from little or no visible symptoms to severe mosaic associated with stunting and leaf deformations [
2,
4,
12,
15,
20,
23,
28].
The numerous strains reported for CMV have been divided into two subgroups I (IA, IB) and II based on serological relationships and nucleotide sequence homology [
29,
30]. CMV contains three positive-sense RNA segments designated RNA1, RNA2 and RNA3 [
10,
30]. RNA1 and RNA2 encode protein 1a and 2a, respectively, and are involved in viral RNA replication [
29]. Protein 2b, encoded by subgenomic RNA4A from RNA2 is well known as a viral silencing suppressor [
21,
24] and is also responsible for long-distance viral movement [
6,
42] and determining pathogenicity and symptom types [
7]. The movement protein (3a), essential for cell-to-cell virus movement [
18], and the coat protein (CP) are encoded by RNA3. Choi et al. [
4] reported that 2a and 3a of CMV independently affect virus spread and symptom induction in squash. The CP is also critical for cell-to-cell and systemic movement of the virus, determining pathogenicity, virus accumulation, symptom induction, and vector transmission [
19,
23,
26,
29,
33,
43]. Cell-to-cell and long-distance movement of viruses are the most important factor for systemic infection in plants [
3].
In Japan, radish is the most widely grown root vegetable, and systemic mosaic is common [
41,
44]. Severe mosaic disease is mostly associated with a mixed infection with turnip mosaic virus and CMV [
34]. Adhab and Alani [
1] reported that mechanical inoculation with a crude sap from CMV-symptomatic radish leaves caused a systemic mild mosaic on radish (
Raphanus sativus). Takeshita et al. [
39] reported that CMV-Y in subgroup IA causes only a local infection in the inoculated leaves of radish (cv. Akidumari), whereas CMV-D8, which is a natural pseudorecombinant strain containing RNA1 and RNA2 from subgroup IA and RNA3 from subgroup IB induces mild systemic mosaic (Additional file
1: Figure S1A), and its RNA2 and RNA3 determine the pathogenicity in radish. However, which regions or viral factors in RNA2 and RNA3 are responsible for systemic infection in the plants has remained unclear. Therefore, here we focused on further elucidating the genetic information in RNA2 and RNA3 of CMV-D8 that confers its ability to induce systemic infection in Japanese radish.
Discussion
The viral factors in RNA2 and RNA3 of CMV-D8; C-terminal region of 2a, entire 2b, and either Ser
51 in 3a or Pro
17/ Pro
129 in CP, contribute to systemic infection in radish cv. Tokinashi, agreeing with and extending the results of our previous study on cv. Akidumari that systemic infectivity of D8 in radish is determined by viral factors in RNA 2 and RNA 3 [
39]. D8 accumulates to significantly higher levels than Y does in the inoculated leaves, suggesting that a higher rate of replication and/or higher levels of accumulation of the virus are important for systemic infection in radish.
In the present study, Y2(D2a-C/D2b), which includes a 2a/2b-overlapped region of 2a and the entire 2b of D8, was shown to have a crucial role in systemic infection in radish. Accumulation if the mutant with inhibited expression of 2b, D2(D2a-C/D2b stop) was low even in the inoculated cotyledons, and it failed to move to the upper, non-inoculated leaves. Similar results were obtained for plants inoculated with Y2(∆Y2a-C/D2b), D2(D2a-C/∆D2b-C) or Y2(D2b-C). Cillo et al. [
5] reported that the entire 2b, which partially overlaps the C-terminal region of 2a, and adjacent RNA2 sequences are involved in pathogenicity of CMV in tomato. Du et al. [
8] also revealed that the same region in RNA2 plays an important role in viral RNA accumulation and symptom induction in
Nicotiana glutinosa. Here, the use of Y2(∆Y2a-C/D2b) and D2(D2a-C/D2b stop) also showed that the C-terminal region of 2a plus the entire 2b are needed for systemic infection of radish by CMV. From a different view, 2b requires the function of the C-terminal region of 2a to contribute to systemic movement in radish. Spread of CMV without the 2b gene is reduced through epidermal cells, leading to a reduced rate of systemic movement that is host-specific [
36] and host-age dependent [
16]. Taken together, the results suggested that 2a/2b-overlapped region of 2a and entire 2b of D8 are required for systemic infection and/or to counteract unidentified defensive responses in radish.
Involvement of the MP and CP of D8 in systemic movement also was revealed by the use of several recombinant mutants of RNA3. The reassortants containing chimeric RNA3s showed that not only the MP but also the CP of CMV-D8 possess the ability to guide the long-distance movement of the virus. Takeshita et al. [
40] reported that the amino acid at position 51 in the MP and 129 in the CP are primary and secondary determinants, respectively, in systemic infectivity and in the induction of severe chronic symptoms in bottle gourd. Unlike the case in radish, Asn
51 in MP from CMV-Y, but not Ser
51 in MP from CMV-D8, facilitated systemic infection in bottle gourd. Two amino acid positions (Lys
51 and Phe
240 in the MP) from CMV-Sny were responsible for the restricted movement in cucurbit hosts [
17], but increased accumulation of the MP up to 50-fold in tobacco [
11]. When all these results are considered, the function of the amino acid at position 51 in the MP probably depends on host species. On the other hand, Pro
129 in CP in the background of CMV-D8 appears to facilitate systemic infection of CMV in both bottle gourd and radish. In addition, Pro
17 in CP of CMV-D8 seems to have a minor role in systemic infection of CMV-D8 in radish. In previous studies, CP or the amino acid at position 129 in CP of CMV has been reported as a determinant for systemic infection and symptom phenotypes [
19,
25,
26,
32,
38,
40]. Ser
129, but not Ser
17, in the CP from CMV-Y induces pin-point necrotic lesions in the inoculated leaves of bottle gourd and chlorotic spots in those of tobacco [
38,
40]. Saitoh et al. [
32] documented that vascular movement of CMV was regulated by an amino acid alteration at positions 17 (Leu to Pro), 25 (Ser to Pro), 28 (Ser to Ala) and 129 (Ser to Pro) in the CP of CMV-Y in
Cucumis figarei. In our case, however, serine was found at amino acid positions 25 and 28 of both strains, assuming that amino acid at positions 25 and 28 had no effect on systemic movement, and distribution of the virus was mainly controlled by the amino acid at positions 17 and 129.
Recombination or reassortment of genomic segments between different subgroups has revealed an important function for amino acid changes in host adaptation of CMV virus, which can thereby alter its host range and virulence [
7,
29,
31,
39,
40]. A host-range determinant(s) of CMV has been documented in various host species [
25,
26,
40] and mostly in CMV RNA3 [
13,
29]. We aligned several CMV strains including CMV-Y and CMV-D8 between different subgroups belonging to subgroups IA and IB. Except for CMV-O, which is in subgroup IA, in other CMV strains, Asn is in position 51 in the MP instead of Ser as in D8. All CMV strains except Y have Pro at position 17 in the CP. In addition, amino acid 129 in all CMV strains is also Pro, except in Y and CMV-Nt9. CMV-D8 RNA3 is not clearly different from other strains in the two subgroups at amino acids 51 in the MP and 17 and 129 in the CP (Additional file
7: Figures S5 and S6). Therefore, the difference in RNA3s between subgroups IA and IB does not significantly impact the systemic infectivity of CMV. Rearranged genomic RNA segments of CMV-D8 might reflect natural selection of the most adaptive RNA3 irrespective of the two subgroups.
Hwang et al. [
14] used a yeast two-hybrid assay to show that CMV 2a interacts with 3a to play a role in cell-to-cell movement. The determinant of systemic movement of CMV in squash was mapped on 2a and 3a [
4]. Additionally, we here report further complex interactions among CMV proteins required for systemic infection in radish.
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