NAC domain protein interacts with tomato leaf curl virus replication accessory protein and enhances viral replication

• Published in: The Plant cell 2005, Vol.17 (1), p.311-325
• Main Authors: Selth, L.A, Dogra, S.C, Rasheed, M.S, Healy, H, Randles, J.W, Rezaian, M.A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; amino acid sequences; Baits; Base Sequence; Cell Nucleus - genetics; Cell Nucleus - metabolism; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA, Viral - genetics; Evolution, Molecular; Gels; Geminiviridae; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant - genetics; Gene Expression Regulation, Viral - genetics; Genes; host-pathogen relationships; Infections; Lycopersicon esculentum - genetics; Lycopersicon esculentum - metabolism; Molecular Sequence Data; nucleotide sequences; Phylogeny; Plant cells; Plant diseases; Plant Diseases - virology; Plant interaction; plant proteins; Plant Proteins - genetics; Plant Proteins - isolation & purification; Plant Proteins - metabolism; Plant Viruses - genetics; Plant Viruses - metabolism; Protein Structure, Tertiary - physiology; protein-protein interactions; Proteins; Solanum lycopersicum var. lycopersicum; Tomato leaf curl virus; Tomatoes; transcription (genetics); transcription factors; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription Factors - isolation & purification; Transcription Factors - metabolism; Transcriptional Activation - genetics; Up-Regulation - genetics; viral proteins; Viral Proteins - genetics; Viral Proteins - metabolism; virus replication; Virus Replication - genetics; Viruses; Yeasts
• ISSN: 1040-4651; 1532-298X
• DOI: 10.1105/tpc.104.027235

Geminivirus replication enhancer (REn) proteins dramatically increase the accumulation of viral DNA species by an unknown mechanism. In this study, we present evidence implicating SlNAC1, a new member of the NAC domain protein family from tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), in Tomato leaf curl virus (TLCV) REn function. We isolated SlNAC1 using yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) two-hybrid technology and TLCV REn as bait, and confirmed the interaction between these proteins in vitro. TLCV induces SlNAC1 expression specifically in infected cells, and this upregulation requires REn. In a transient TLCV replication system, overexpression of SlNAC1 resulted in a substantial increase in viral DNA accumulation. SlNAC1 colocalized with REn to the nucleus and activated transcription of a reporter gene in yeast, suggesting that in healthy cells it functions as a transcription factor. Together, these results imply that SlNAC1 plays an important role in the process by which REn enhances TLCV replication.