Identification a coat protein region of cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) essential for long-distance movement in cucumber

Abstract

To characterise the long-distance movement determinant of cucumoviral coat proteins (CPs), five mutants were engineered into the CMV CP bearing the corresponding tomato aspermy virus (TAV) loops exposed on the surface of the virion. Both viruses can move long-distance in Nicotiana clevelandii, but only CMV can move long-distance in cucumber. Investigation of the CMV chimeras identified three amino acids of the βB-βC loop that were essential for the CMV long-distance movement in cucumber. Introducing these mutations into the TAV CP was not sufficient for long-distance movement, indicating that this is not the sole region causing long-distance movement deficiency.