Hibiscus chlorotic ringspot virus upregulates plant sulfite oxidase transcripts and increases sulfate levels in kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.)

Abstract

Hibiscus chlorotic ringspot virus (HCRSV) coat protein (CP) is required for encapsidation and virus systemic movement. To better understand the roles of HCRSV CP in virus infection and its interactions with host proteins, a cDNA library of kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) was constructed and screened by using a yeast two-hybrid system (YTHS) to identify CP-interacting proteins. One protein identified was sulfite oxidase (SO) and the interaction was confirmed in vitro and in vivo. The interaction was found to be associated with peroxisomes by immunofluorescent labelling of peroxisomes by an anti-SKL signal peptide antibody. Our YTHS results showed that only the P and S domains of CP interacted with SO from kenaf. This is probably due to the exposure of these two domains on the outer surface of the capsid. Peroxisomes were observed to aggregate in HCRSV-infected cells, and biochemical assays of total protein from kenaf leaf extracts showed that SO activity and SO-dependent H2O2-generating activity in the HCRSV-infected leaves increased compared with that in mock-inoculated kenaf plants. © 2009 SGM.