PLRV Surface Mutations Affect Aphid Transmission Efficiency
DPK and HCK point mutants from the Kaplan et al. (2007) study had no impact on capsid formation. D95E, P97A, K100S triple mutant decreased aphid transmission efficiency, while C139N did not affect transmission efficiency. PLRV asymmetric unit represented in ribbon form, with mutated residues shown in stick representation. Subunits are colored blue (subunit A), green (subunit B), and red (subunit C). Left panel: zoom view of D95, P97, K100 situated on α1 across the A:B subunit interface. Right panel: vacuum electrostatic representation of DPK motif showing positively charged patch that is disrupted by the K100S mutation (see also Figure S6).