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Family
Potyviridae

2 Main features

 The Potyviridae family is one of the largest and

economically most important families of plant viruses,
due to their effects on crops worldwide.

 They are flexuous filamentous rod-shaped particles.

11-15 nm in diameter

 Those of genera with monopartite genomes

(Potyvirus, Macluravirus, Ipomovirus, Tritimovirus,
Rymovirus) are 650-950 nm long

 Those of the genus with bipartite genome (Bymovirus)

are 200-300 and 500-600 long.

 The particles consist of 95% coat protein and 5% RNA.

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4 Main features

 Thegenome is single-stranded, positive-sense

RNA that are translated to form a single
polyprotein.

 Thegenome is surrounded by a protein coat

made up of a single viral encoded protein
called a capsid.

 The genome size of monopartite members is c.

8.0 to 11 kb

 The
sizes of the two genome parts of bipartite
members are 7.5 kb and 3.5 kb

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5 Genome

6 Main features

 The genomic RNAs have a genome-linked

protein (VPg) covalently bound to the 5' terminus
and a poly(A) tail at the 3' end.

 Most members of the family Potyviridae have a

coat protein of 30-37 kDa; that of wheat streak
mosaic virus -WSMV (Tritimovirus) and Maclura
mosaic virus -MacMV (Macluravirus) is 40 kDa.

 Allmembers of the Potyviridae induce the

formation of cytoplasmic cylindrical inclusions
(‘pinwheels’) consisting of a protein.

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Cell inclusion bodies observed with an electron microscope. (C)

Cylindrical and irregular inclusion bodies induced by potyviruses (D)
Typical pinwheel-like inclusion bodies diagnostic of potyviruses

8 Main features

 Some members also induce the formation of

nuclear inclusions which consist of two proteins
and/or amorphous proteinaceous inclusions.

 Monopartite members are transmitted by

 Aphids (Potyvirus, Macluravirus),
 Mites (Rymovirus, Tritimovirus)
 Whiteflies (Ipomovirus),

 Bipartite
members
(Bymovirus) by the fungus Polymyxa graminis.

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9 Main features

 Except for some bymoviruses, the viruses are

transmissible by mechanical means

 By inoculation of sap;

 Some potyviruses are carried within or on the

testae of a small proportion of the seeds of some
host species.

10 Symptoms
 Most members of the Potyviridae have restricted, or
very restricted, host ranges, but a few occur naturally
in a wide range of monocotyledonous and/or
dicotyledonous species.

 However, members of the Potyviridae infect many

important crop species.

 Some induce no conspicuous symptoms in infected

plants, but most cause mosaic or mottle symptoms in
leaves.

 Many also induce colour-breaking in flowers, mottled

and/or distorted fruits and seeds.

 Some cause considerable losses of crop yield and

quality.

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Symptoms of foliar mosaic and

necrosis on potato caused by
the necrotic strain of potato virus
Y (PVY).

Mosaic symptoms and foliar

malformations caused by PVY on
pepper.

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Bean mosaics. (A) Common

bean mosaic symptoms on
bean plants. Yellow bean
mosaic symptoms
on leaves (B) and malformations
on pods (C).

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14 Genera
Genus Potyvirus;
type species: Potato virus Y
Genus Rymovirus;
type species: Ryegrass mosaic virus

Genus Bymovirus;
type species: Barley yellow mosaic
virus

Genus Macluravirus;
type species: Maclura mosaic virus
Genus Ipomovirus;
type species: Sweet potato mild
mottle virus
Genus Tritimovirus;
type species: Wheat streak mosaic
virus

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Genome features
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 Thegenome encodes a polyprotein that is

cleaved co- and posttranslationally into nine or ten
products by virus- coded proteinases

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a. Genome structure
 The main features of the Tobacco etch virus
(TEV) genome are:
(1) A 5' VPg (about 24 kDa);
(2) A 5' non-coding region of 144 nucleotides
rich in A and U;
(3) A single large ORF of 9161 nucleotides
initiating at residue 145-147, which could
code for a polyprotein with about 3000
amino acids (about 340 kDa); and
(4) A 3' untranslated region of 190 bases
terminating in a poly(A) tract (20 to 160
adenosines).

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b. Gene products
i. Proteins in the virus particle
 The rod-shaped particle of TEV is made up of
about 2000 molecules of a coat protein of 30
kDa that is processed from the C-terminus of
the polyprotein

 It is involved in successful aphid transmission

of potyviruses

 In addition, there is a single molecule of a

VPg linked covalently to the 5' terminus that is
processed from the middle of the polyprotein

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ii. Cytoplasmic pinwheel inclusion protein

 A protein monomer that aggregates to form
characteristic pinwheel inclusion bodies is
found in the cytoplasm of plants infected by
all potyviruses including those transmitted by
mites.

 In vitro translation studies have shown that

this protein, termed the cytoplasmic inclusion
(CI) protein, is coded by the virus

 The CI protein of Tobacco Etch Virus is about

70 kDa.

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 It has been suggested that it is involved in

cell-to-cell movement of virus but this seems
unlikely.

 From nucleotide sequence similarities with

similar proteins in picornaviruses and
comoviruses, it is now considered to be
involved in RNA replication.

 In particular, it contains the highly conserved

NTP binding motif.

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Cell inclusion bodies observed with an electron microscope. (C)

Cylindrical and irregular inclusion bodies induced by potyviruses (D)
Typical pinwheel-like inclusion bodies diagnostic of potyviruses

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iii. Cytoplasmic amorphous inclusion protein

and the helper component protein
 The cytoplasmic amorphous inclusion body
protein has been detected in some but not
all potyviruses.

 The helper component protein is a virus-

coded protein necessary for aphid
transmission of the virus.

 Several lines of evidence indicate they are

the same proteins, in whole or in part, and
that the gene is located in the 5' region of the
genome:

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1. They co-migrate in gel electrophoresis

2. Amorphous inclusion body protein antibody

reacts with the main protein in purified
helper protein extracts

3. Antiserum to a partially purified helper

component blocked the biological activity
of homologous helper component and also
reacted with a cell-free 75-kDa translation
product from homologous RNA; and

4. Amorphous inclusion protein and 5' cell free

translation products have similar partial
proteolysis patterns

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 The helper component (HC) protein of all the

aphid-transmitted potyviruses that have been
sequenced contains a potential 'zinc finger'
metal binding site of unknown function.

 Helper component activity is located in the

52-kDa protein coded near the 5' terminus.

Cartoon representation of the Cys2His2

zinc finger motif, consisting of an α helix
and an antiparallel β sheet. The zinc
ion (green) is coordinated by two
histidine residues and two cysteine
residues.

A zinc finger is a small protein structural motif that is characterized by

the coordination of one or more zinc ions in order to stabilize the fold.

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iv. Nuclear inclusion proteins

 The nuclear inclusion (NI) bodies found in TEV
and some other Potyvirus infections are
composed of two proteins of approximately
48 kDa (NIa) and 58 kDa (NIb).

 These are coded for by all potyviruses but

only some produce the inclusions.

 The NIa protein of TEV is a virus-coded

proteinase related to the trypsin superfamily
of serine proteinases that are excised from
the polyprotein by autoproteolysis .

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 Itis also responsible for four other cleavages

in the 3' two-thirds genome

 The NIb protein has sequence similarity with

polymerases of some other viruses and is the
RNA-dependent RNA polymerase

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v. Proteinases
 Potyviruses encode three proteinases that are
involved in processing the polyprotein,

 The N-terminal 35-kDa P1 protein,

(The P1 protein contains a protease domain at
its C-terminal region, cleaving itself from the
adjacent helper component protease (HC-Pro)
protein; its other functions are presently
unknown.)
 The N-terminal part of the 52-kDa HC-Pro, and
 The 27-kDa C-terminal part of the NIa protein.

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PROTEIN POSSIBLE FUNCTION(S)
P1 Proteinase;
Cell-to-cell movement (speculation).
HC-Pro Aphid mediated transmission;
Proteinase;
Cell-to-cell movement (speculation).
P3 Unknown (possible role in replication)
CI Genome replication (RNA helicase);
Membrane attachment;
Nucleic acid stimulated ATPase activity;
Cell-to-cell movement (speculation).
CP RNA encapsidation;
Involved in vector transmission;
Cell-to-cell movement.
NIa-VPg Genome replication (Primer for initiation of RNA synthesis).
NIa-Pro Major Proteinase
NIb Genome replication (RNA-dependent RNA polymerase [RdRp]).

6K1 & 6K2 Unknown, but possible roles in: - RNA replication;

- Regulatory function inhibiting NIa nuclear translocation;

- Membrane anchoring of replication machinery.

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2. Genus Bymovirus
 Bymoviruses have two positive sense, ssRNA
molecules; RNA-1 is 7.3–7.6 kb in size and
RNA-2 is 3.5–3.7 kb in size. Both RNAs have 3’-
terminal polyadenylate tracts and probably a
VPg at the 5’ termini.
 Essentially, the polyprotein encoded by RNA2
contains the two products that are at the N
terminus of the potyvirus polyprotein and that
encoded by RNA1 is processed to give the
other products.

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 Genome organization of BaYMV and potyvirus.

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RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN POTYVIRUSES SPECIES

The taxonomic relationship between potyvirus
species has always been a matter of debate
 An optimal amino acid sequence alignment of
four distinct virus polyproteins revealed that P1, P3,
and CP N-terminal domain are the most variable
regions
 Indeed, between distinct potyviruses, only 20
percent sequence identity is scored in the P1
region
 Despite this high variability, a pentapeptide in the
P1 C-terminal region (FIVRG), possibly involved in
P1 protease activity, appears conserved in all
potyviruses

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 Thesecond most variable gene product is the P3

protein, which reveals about 30 percent
homology between distinct potyviruses

 Aninteresting feature of the potyviral CPs is that

they have an extremely variable N-terminal
sequence linked to a well-conserved core
domain. The C-terminal region is also variable.

 Coat protein is by far the major product of the

virion, representing 95 percent of the particle
weight; its N-terminal sequence, which is found at
the surface of the particle, is the first to be
exposed to a host’s recognition and defence
mechanisms.

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 Potyvirus species and strains can be classified on

the basis of the coat protein size resulting primarily
from differences in the length of the N-terminal
regions
 Between distinct potyviruses, the CP size ranges
from 263 to 330 amino acids, whereas within a
particular species, such as PVY, all isolates share a
similar CP length of, in PVY, 267 amino acids.
 Isolates belonging to distinct potyvirus species
share sequence homologies ranging from 38 to 71
percent, whereas strains of the same potyvirus
species present sequence homologies ranging
from 90 to 99 percent
 The coat protein gene is a marker enabling the
distinction between species and strains.

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Thank you

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