Abstract
Formation of plant virus membrane-associated replication factories requires the association of viral replication proteins and viral RNA with intracellular membranes, the recruitment of host factors and the modification of membranes to form novel structures that house the replication complex. Many viruses encode integral membrane proteins that act as anchors for the replication complex. These hydrophobic proteins contain transmembrane domains and/or amphipathic helices that associate with the membrane and modify its structure. The comovirus Co-Pro and NTP-binding (NTB, putative helicase) proteins and the cognate nepovirus X2 and NTB proteins are among the best characterized plant virus integral membrane replication proteins and are functionally related to the picornavirus 2B, 2C, and 3A membrane proteins. The identification of membrane association domains and analysis of the membrane topology of these proteins is discussed. The evidence suggesting that these proteins have the ability to induce membrane proliferation, alter the structure and integrity of intracellular membranes, and modulate the induction of symptoms in infected plants is also reviewed. Finally, areas of research that need further investigation are highlighted.
CHARACTERIZATION OF COMOVIRUS AND NEPOVIRUS REPLICATION COMPLEXES AND IDENTIFICATION OF PUTATIVE MEMBRANE ANCHORS
Positive-strand RNA viruses replicate in large complexes that are associated with host intracellular membranes (; ; ; ; ; ). Some viruses require host membrane proteins to target their replication proteins to the membranes (). However, many viruses encode proteins that interact with membranes directly and modify their intrinsic structure. These proteins have membrane association domains and contain protein–protein and/or protein–RNA interaction domains that allow them to recruit the viral RNA, other viral replication proteins, or host factors to the membranes. Well-characterized plant virus membrane proteins include the tombusvirus 33–36 kDa proteins, bromovirus 1a protein, potyvirus 6K protein, and tymovirus 140 kDa protein (; ; ; ; ).
The family Secoviridae (order Picornavirales) includes the genera Comovirus, Fabavirus, Nepovirus, Sequivirus, Waikavirus, Cheravirus, Sadwavirus, and Torradovirus (). The best characterized members of the family are Cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV, comovirus), Grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV, nepovirus), and Tomato ringspot virus (ToRSV, nepovirus; ; ). These viruses use a polyprotein strategy to express their proteins and have a replication block consisting of a nucleotide-binding protein (NTB), a genome-linked protein (VPg), a proteinase (Pro), and an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (Pol; Figure 1C). Although they share these properties with picornaviruses (including the well-characterized poliovirus), nepo- and comoviruses differ in that they have bipartite genomes. The RNA1-encoded polyprotein contains all protein domains necessary for replication and RNA1 can replicate independently of RNA2 (; ).
FIGURE 1
Plant cells infected by como- and nepoviruses are characterized by the presence of numerous membraneous vesicles, which are derived from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER;
Vesicles induced in como- and nepovirus-infected cells are irregularly shaped, vary in size and are usually surrounded by a single-membrane (
Of the replication proteins encoded by como- or nepovirus RNA1, two contain obvious hydrophobic regions: the comovirus Co-Pro and NTB proteins and the cognate nepovirus X2 and NTB proteins (Figure 1D). In infected cells, mature proteins co-exist with stable intermediate polyproteins (Figure 1C). The CPMV Co-Pro is only detected as a mature protein due to efficient cleavage between Co-Pro and NTB. However, NTB is found either as a mature protein or within various intermediates (NTB–VPg, NTB–VPg–Pro, and NTB–VPg–Pro–Pol;
The nucleotide-binding motif of the nepo- and comovirus NTB is related to that of the poliovirus 2C protein (Figure 1C). The nepo- and comovirus NTB also contain a hydrophobic C-terminal domain, which is absent in 2C (Figure 1D). The poliovirus 3A protein (immediately downstream of 2C in the polyprotein) has a hydrophobic domain that corresponds to the C-terminal region of the nepo- and comovirus NTB, although polyproteins containing both 2C and 3A are not detected in infected cells (Figure 1C;
MEMBRANE MODIFICATIONS AND SYMPTOMS INDUCED BY THE COMOVIRUS Co-Pro AND NTB–VPg
When overexpressed from a viral vector, the CPMV NTB–VPg or Co-Pro induces the formation of small ER-derived perinuclear bodies (
Ectopic overexpression of CPMV Co-Pro or NTB–VPg induces local necrosis in plant (
MEMBRANE TOPOLOGY OF THE ToRSV X2 AND NTB: EVIDENCE FOR OLIGOMERIZATION AND VIROPORIN ACTIVITY
Membrane association of integral membrane proteins can be directed by transmembrane α-helices, which are highly hydrophobic, or by amphipathic α-helices. Amphipathic helices initially insert parallel to the membranes with their hydrophobic face inserted in the lipid bilayer (Figures 2A,B). Oligomerization of amphipathic helices can lead to the formation of aqueous pores whereby the hydrophilic faces of the helices orient toward the pore and the hydrophobic faces interact within the membrane environment (
FIGURE 2

Topology model for ToRSV membrane replication proteins. (A) Model for the parallel insertion of an amphipathic helix. The hydrophobic side of the helix (blue) inserts in one leaflet of the lipid bilayer while the polar/charged hydrophilic side of the helix (yellow) is exposed to the cytosolic face of the membrane. This insertion displaces the lipid headgroup, causing the acyl chain to reorient and inducing positive membrane curvature. (B) Model for the oligomerization of amphipathic helices and formation of an aqueous pore. In the top panel, an amphipathic helix is inserted parallel to the lipid bilayer (horizontal gray lines) of the membrane (left). Formation of an aqueous pore (double-ended red arrow) requires oligomerization of four or six amphipathic helices (middle). In the aqueous pore, the hydrophilic side of the helix (yellow) is exposed toward the pore, while its hydrophobic side (blue) is oriented toward the membrane lipid bilayer. A simplified representation of the pore shows only two molecules to better visualize each side of the amphipathic helix relative to the pore (right). In the bottom panel, a membrane protein consisting of an amphipathic helix and a hydrophobic helix (blue) is shown. After initial membrane insertion of the monomer with the amphipathic helix parallel to the membrane (left), an aqueous pore is formed by oligomerization of the amphipathic helix (middle). The hydrophobic helix of each molecule is located on the outside of the pore alongside the amphipathic helix (model shown for a hexamer). Hydrophobic interactions between the hydrophobic side of the amphipathic helix and the hydrophobic helix stabilize pore formation. A simplified representation of the pore shows only two molecules (right). (C) Predicted topologies for NTB–VPg, X2, and X2–NTB–VPg shown for monomers (left) or oligomers (right). Two possible topologies are shown for NTB–VPg monomers (1 and 2, see text). To simplify the figure, only two molecules are shown in the oligomer models. However, at least four molecules would be necessary to form an aqueous pore (as shown in B). The open circle represents the VPg domain and the red oval indicates the conserved NTB motif. (D) Model for the induction of positive membrane curvature by hydrophobic interactions of membrane proteins oligomers, shown for NTB–VPg. On the left, blue arrows represent possible hydrophobic interactions. These interactions (shown by broken blue lines on the right) would induce positive membrane curvature. Similar hydrophobic interactions are predicted to occur in X2 or X2–NTB–VPg oligomers (not shown).
The hydrophobic C-terminal domain and a predicted N-terminal amphipathic helix of the ToRSV NTB protein (Figure 1D) are each sufficient to target GFP fusion proteins to ER membranes in plant cells or to direct the insertion of NTB or NTB–VPg into canine microsomal membranes in vitro (
The N-terminus of NTB is translocated in the membrane lumen, suggesting oligomerization of the amphipathic helix and pore formation (
In plant cells, ER-targeting of ToRSV X2 is directed by two strongly predicted transmembrane helices and a putative amphipathic helix (
The topology models for X2 and NTB–VPg pose some problems when applied to the X2–NTB–VPg polyprotein. The cytosolic orientation of the C-terminus of X2 is in apparent conflict with the luminal orientation of the N-terminus of NTB. However, the presence of two strong transmembrane domains in the X2 domain of X2–NTB–VPg may prevent the membrane translocation of the NTB amphipathic helix, forcing it to insert parallel to the membranes (Figure 2C). Thus, processing at the X2–NTB cleavage site may influence the orientation of the NTB amphipathic helix and alter the ability of NTB and/or X2 to modify intracellular membranes. The impact of proteolytic cleavage on membrane topology was demonstrated for the poliovirus 3A and 3AB (
INTERACTION OF VIRAL MEMBRANE PROTEINS WITH HOST FACTORS: TOWARD A MECHANISM FOR MEMBRANE MODIFICATION
The experimental evidence points to a role for como- and nepovirus membrane replication proteins in altering host membranes and assembling the replication complexes. Positive membrane curvature can be induced by parallel insertion of amphipathic helices (Figure 2A) or by intra- and intermolecular hydrophobic interactions among membrane protein oligomers (as shown for NTB–VPg, Figure 2D;
Host factors are also likely to play an important role. The secretory pathway is hijacked by poliovirus to help the formation of membraneous vesicles, resulting in an inhibition of host protein transport (
How do these findings apply to como- and nepoviruses? Replication of CPMV and GFLV is hindered by cerulenin (
Statements
Acknowledgments
This work was supported in part by an NSERC discovery grant. I wish to thank Joan Chisholm for critical reading of the manuscript and Andrew Wieczorek for taking the EM picture (shown in Figure 2A), while he was in my lab.
Conflict of interest
The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
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Summary
Keywords
integral membrane proteins, viral replication complexes, intracellular membranes, protein–membrane interactions, secoviridae, picornavirales, plant–virus interactions, membrane remodeling
Citation
Sanfaçon H (2013) Investigating the role of viral integral membrane proteins in promoting the assembly of nepovirus and comovirus replication factories. Front. Plant Sci. 3:313. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2012.00313
Received
25 September 2012
Accepted
31 December 2012
Published
29 January 2013
Volume
3 - 2012
Edited by
Richard Nelson, Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Inc., USA
Reviewed by
Michael Goodin, University of Kentucky, USA; George A. Belov, University of Maryland, USA
Copyright
©.
Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
*Correspondence: Hélène Sanfaçon, Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 4200 Highway 97, Summerland, BC, Canada V0H 1Z0. e-mail: helene.sanfacon@agr.gc.ca
This article was submitted to Frontiers in Plant-Microbe Interaction, a specialty of Frontiers in Plant Science.
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