Analysis of Subcellular Localization and Pathogenicity of Plum Bark Necrosis Stem-Pitting Associated Virus Protein P6

Abstract

Infection of <i>plum bark necrosis stem pitting associated virus</i> (PBNSPaV) has been reported in many <i>Prunus</i> species in several countries, causing significant economic losses. The very small proteins encoded by plant viruses are often overlooked due to their short sequences and uncertain significance. However, numerous studies have indicated that they might play important roles in the pathogenesis of virus infection. The role of small hydrophobic protein P6, encoded by the open reading frame 2 of PBNSPaV, has not been well explored. In this study, we amplified the P6 fragment from a PBNSPaV isolate by RT-PCR using specific primers and found that it is 174 bp long and encodes a protein of approximately 6.3 kD with a transmembrane domain. Subcellular localization analysis of P6 proteins in tobacco leaves showed that P6 localizes to the cytomembrane and nuclear membrane. To further clarify the pathogenicity of P6 proteins, we constructed a PVX-P6 expression vector by inserting the p6 fragment into a <i>potato virus X</i> (PVX)-based vector and transformed it into <i>Agrobacterium tumefaciens GV3101</i>. Infiltration of <i>Nicotiana benthamiana</i> (<i>N. benthamiana)</i> with the PVX vector-transformed <i>A. tumefaciens</i> led to slight mosaic symptoms at 14 days of post-inoculation. Meanwhile, infiltration with the PVX-P6 vector-transformed <i>A. tumefaciens</i> resulted in no significant symptoms. These results demonstrated that heterologous expression of P6 in <i>N. benthamiana</i> could not enhance the pathogenicity of PVX. Our study indicates that P6 may not be a potential pathogenic factor associate with the causing of symptoms, and the mode of action of PBNSPaV-P6 protein remains to be further studied.