Open AccessCauliflower mosaic virus : still in the news
Author(s) -
Haas Muriel,
Bureau Marina,
Geldreich Angèle,
Yot Pierre,
Keller Mario
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
molecular plant pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.945
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1364-3703
pISSN - 1464-6722
DOI - 10.1046/j.1364-3703.2002.00136.x
Subject(s) - capsid , cauliflower mosaic virus , biology , genome , mosaic virus , brome mosaic virus , virology , dna , plant virus , microbiology and biotechnology , virus , genetics , gene , polymerase , rna dependent rna polymerase , genetically modified crops , transgene
SUMMARY Taxonomic relationship: Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) is the type member of the Caulimovirus genus in the Caulimoviridae family, which comprises five other genera. CaMV replicates its DNA genome by reverse transcription of a pregenomic RNA and thus belongs to the pararetrovirus supergroup, which includes the Hepadnaviridae family infecting vertebrates. Physical properties: Virions are non‐enveloped isometric particles, 53 nm in diameter ( Fig. 1). They are constituted by 420 capsid protein subunits organized following T = 7 icosahedral symmetry ( Cheng, R.H., Olson, N.H. and Baker, T.S. (1992) Cauliflower mosaic virus : a 420 subunit ( T = 7), multilayer structure. Virology , 16 , 655–668). The genome consists of a double‐stranded circular DNA of approximately 8000 bp that is embedded in the inner surface of the capsid. 1Electron micrograph of CaMV virions. Courtesy of J. Menissier de Murcia, Ecole Supérieure de Biotechnologie de Strasbourg.Viral proteins: The CaMV genome encodes six proteins, a cell‐to‐cell movement protein (P1), two aphid transmission factors (P2 and P3), the precursor of the capsid proteins (P4), a polyprotein precursor of proteinase, reverse transcriptase and ribonuclease H (P5) and an inclusion body protein/translation transactivator (P6). Hosts: The host range of CaMV is limited to plants of the Cruciferae family, i.e. Brassicae species and Arabidopsis thaliana , but some viral strains can also infect solanaceous plants. In nature, CaMV is transmitted by aphids in a non‐circulative manner.