Tobacco mutants with reduced microtubule dynamics are less susceptible to TMV

• Published in: The Plant journal : for cell and molecular biology Vol. 62; no. 5; pp. 829 - 839
• Main Authors: Ouko, Maurice O, Sambade, Adrian, Brandner, Katrin, Niehl, Annette, Peña, Eduardo, Ahad, Abdul, Heinlein, Manfred, Nick, Peter
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Oxford, UK : Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-06-2010; Blackwell Publishing Ltd; Blackwell; Wiley
• Subjects: activation tagging; Biological and medical sciences; Cellular Biology; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA, Bacterial - genetics; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Life Sciences; microtubules; Microtubules - metabolism; movement protein; Mutation; Nicotiana - genetics; Nicotiana - virology; Nicotiana tabacum SR1:nn cv. 'Petit Havana'; Phenylcarbamates - pharmacology; Plant diseases; Plant Diseases - genetics; Plant Leaves - genetics; Plant Leaves - virology; Plant physiology and development; Plant Viral Movement Proteins - metabolism; Tobacco; Tobacco mosaic virus; Tobacco Mosaic Virus - physiology; Tubulin - metabolism; Urethane - pharmacology; Virus Replication; Viruses; movement protein; Tobamovirus; Activation; Nicotiana tabacum SR1:nn cv; microtubules; Nicotiana tabacum; Protein; Virus; Regulation(control); Dynamics; Tobacco mosaic virus; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Tagging; Spermatophyta; Solanaceae; Microtubule; Mutation; Petit Havana; activation tagging
• ISSN: 0960-7412; 1365-313X
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-313X.2010.04195.x

A panel of seven SR1 tobacco mutants (ATER1 to ATER7) derived via T-DNA activation tagging and screening for resistance to a microtubule assembly inhibitor, ethyl phenyl carbamate, were used to study the role of microtubules during infection and spread of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). In one of these lines, ATER2, α-tubulin is shifted from the tyrosinylated into the detyrosinated form, and the microtubule plus-end marker GFP-EB1 moves significantly slower when expressed in the background of the ATER2 mutant as compared with the SR1 wild type. The efficiency of cell-to-cell movement of TMV encoding GFP-tagged movement protein (MP-GFP) is reduced in ATER2 accompanied by a reduced association of MP-GFP with plasmodesmata. This mutant is also more tolerant to viral infection as compared with the SR1 wild type, implying that reduced microtubule dynamics confer a comparative advantage in face of TMV infection.