Abstract
The propensity of viruses to acquire genetic material from relatives and possibly from infected hosts makes them excellent candidates as vectors for horizontal gene transfer. However, virus-mediated acquisition of host genetic material, as deduced from historical events, appears to be rare. Here, we report spontaneous and surprisingly efficient generation of hybrid virus/host DNA molecules in the form of minicircles during infection of Beta vulgaris by Beet curly top Iran virus (BCTIV), a single-stranded DNA virus. The hybrid minicircles replicate, become encapsidated into viral particles, and spread systemically throughout infected plants in parallel with the viral infection. Importantly, when co-infected with BCTIV, B. vulgaris DNA captured in minicircles replicates and is transcribed in other plant species that are sensitive to BCTIV infection. Thus, we have likely documented in real time the initial steps of a possible path of virus-mediated horizontal transfer of chromosomal DNA between plant species.
Highlights
The propensity of viruses to acquire genetic material from relatives and possibly from infected hosts makes them excellent candidates as vectors for horizontal gene transfer
We demonstrate that the hybrid minicircles can replicate, systemically spread and produce RNA transcripts in other plant hosts infected with Beet curly top Iran virus (BCTIV)
Our results reveal that in the host/ virus combinations tested here, efficient and reproducible recombination between viral and host genomes can be observed in real time, suggesting that ssDNA viruses have a high potential to act as vectors for horizontal gene transfer (HGT) between host plants
Summary
The propensity of viruses to acquire genetic material from relatives and possibly from infected hosts makes them excellent candidates as vectors for horizontal gene transfer. We report spontaneous and surprisingly efficient generation of hybrid virus/host DNA molecules in the form of minicircles during infection of Beta vulgaris by Beet curly top Iran virus (BCTIV), a single-stranded DNA virus. We describe spontaneous and efficient formation of novel hybrid DNA minicircles composed of viral and plant genomic DNA sequences. They arise in sugar beet plants (Beta vulgaris) infected by a circular single-stranded DNA virus, Beet curly top Iran virus (BCTIV), belonging to the Geminiviridae family. Our results reveal that in the host/ virus combinations tested here, efficient and reproducible recombination between viral and host genomes can be observed in real time, suggesting that ssDNA viruses have a high potential to act as vectors for HGT between host plants. Efficient formation of minicircles seems to be species specific, determining the direction of information flow between virus hosts
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