New Satellite RNAs, but No DI RNAs, Are Found in Natural Populations of Tomato Bushy Stunt Tombusvirus

Enhanced competitiveness of tomato bushy stunt virus defective interfering RNAs by segment duplication or nucleotide insertion.

We have analyzed atypical tomato bushy stunt virus defective interfering (DI) RNA species which accumulated during a passage series in protoplasts. We present a rationale for the order of appearance of these molecules and show, using competition assays, that either segment duplication or single nucleotide insertion can enhance DI RNA competitiveness. Possible mechanisms for the introduction of ...

Origin and Evolution of Defective Interfering RNAs of Tomato Bushy Stunt Virus

Host-specific generation and maintenance of Tomato bushy stunt virus defective interfering RNAs.

The accumulation of Tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV) defective interfering RNAs (DIs) has been observed in several species of plants, but the involvement of host-specific processes and the functional role of DIs are still poorly understood. In this study, the accumulation of DIs was compared after several passages of TBSV through Nicotiana benthamiana and pepper (Capsicum annuum). As anticipated...

Partial purification and characterization of Cucumber necrosis virus and Tomato bushy stunt virus RNA-dependent RNA polymerases: similarities and differences in template usage between tombusvirus and carmovirus RNA-dependent RNA polymerases.

Tombusviruses are small, plus-sense, single-stranded RNA viruses of plants. RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RdRp) of two tombusviruses, Tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV) and Cucumber necrosis virus (CNV), have been partially purified from infected Nicotiana benthamiana plants. The obtained RdRp complexes are capable of de novo initiation of complementary RNA synthesis using either plus- or minus-s...

Recombination between defective tombusvirus RNAs generates functional hybrid genomes.

The tombusviruses represent a group of small icosahedral plant viruses that contain monopartite positive-sense RNA genomes. Tombusviruses are able to generate small replicating deletion mutants of their genomes (i.e., defective interfering RNAs) during infections via RNA recombination and/or rearrangement. To further study the process of RNA recombination and to determine whether tombusviruses ...