Abstract
An essential step in the initiation of a virus infection is the release of the viral genome from the other constituents of the virus particle, a process referred to as uncoating. We have used reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction amplification procedures to determine the rate and direction of in vivo uncoating of the rod-shaped tobacco mosaic virus. The virus particles contain a single 6.4-kb RNA molecule that lies between successive turns of a helical arrangement of coat protein subunits. When the particles are introduced into plant cells, the subunits are removed via a bidirectional uncoating mechanism. Within 2-3 min, the part of the viral RNA from the 5' end to a position >70% toward the 3' end has been freed of coat protein subunits. This is followed by removal of subunits from the 3' end of the RNA and sequential uncoating of the RNA in a 3'-to-5' direction. An internal region of the viral RNA is the final part to be uncoated. Progeny virus particles are detected in the cells 35-40 min after inoculation.
Full text
PDF
Images in this article
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Butler P. J., Finch J. T., Zimmern D. Configuration of tobacco mosaic virus, RNA during virus assembly. Nature. 1977 Jan 20;265(5591):217–219. doi: 10.1038/265217a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Butler P. J., Klug A. Assembly of the particle of tobacco mosaic virus from RNA and disks of protein. Nat New Biol. 1971 Jan 13;229(2):47–50. doi: 10.1038/newbio229047a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Jonard G., Richards K. E., Guilley H., Hirth L. Sequence from the assembly nucleation region of TMV RNA. Cell. 1977 Jul;11(3):483–493. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(77)90066-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lebeurier G., Nicolaieff A., Richards K. E. Inside-out model for self-assembly of tobacco mosaic virus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1977 Jan;74(1):149–153. doi: 10.1073/pnas.74.1.149. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Namba K., Pattanayek R., Stubbs G. Visualization of protein-nucleic acid interactions in a virus. Refined structure of intact tobacco mosaic virus at 2.9 A resolution by X-ray fiber diffraction. J Mol Biol. 1989 Jul 20;208(2):307–325. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(89)90391-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Namba K., Stubbs G. Structure of tobacco mosaic virus at 3.6 A resolution: implications for assembly. Science. 1986 Mar 21;231(4744):1401–1406. doi: 10.1126/science.3952490. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Turner D. R., Joyce L. E., Butler P. J. The tobacco mosaic virus assembly origin RNA. Functional characteristics defined by directed mutagenesis. J Mol Biol. 1988 Oct 5;203(3):531–547. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(88)90190-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Wilson T. M. Nucleocapsid disassembly and early gene expression by positive-strand RNA viruses. J Gen Virol. 1985 Jun;66(Pt 6):1201–1207. doi: 10.1099/0022-1317-66-6-1201. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Wu X., Xu Z., Shaw J. G. Uncoating of tobacco mosaic virus RNA in protoplasts. Virology. 1994 Apr;200(1):256–262. doi: 10.1006/viro.1994.1183. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Zimmern D. The nucleotide sequence at the origin for assembly on tobacco mosaic virus RNA. Cell. 1977 Jul;11(3):463–482. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(77)90065-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]