A defect in carbohydrate metabolism ameliorates symptom severity in virus-infected Arabidopsis thaliana

Altered starch accumulation is a characteristic biochemical symptom of virus infection in plants. To assess its biological importance, infection of Arabidopsis thaliana with Turnip vein-clearing virus, Cucumber mosaic virus or Cauliflower mosaic virus was investigated in plants grown under continuous illumination (under which there is no net breakdown of starch) and in pgm1 mutant plants lacking chloroplastic phosphoglucomutase, an enzyme required for starch biosynthesis. Virus-infected wild-type plants grown under continuous light exhibited more severe leaf symptoms, but no reduction in growth compared with plants grown under diurnal illumination. Comparing lines grown in perpetual light, pgm1 mutant plants displayed less severe symptoms than the wild-type controls. However, accumulation of all three viruses was similar in wild-type and mutant plants and was unaffected by the light regime. The results show that, although changes in starch accumulation during infection are not required for successful viral infection, carbohydrate metabolism does influence symptom development.