| ARTICLE ABSTRACT | |||||||
| DOI: 10.1099/vir.0.18922-0 | ||||||||
| Online 18 March 2003 | ||||||||
Sergey Yu. Morozov and Andrey G. Solovyev
A. N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology,
Moscow State University, Moscow 119899, Russia
Many plant virus genera encode a 'triple gene block' (TGB), a specialized evolutionarily conserved gene module involved in the cell-to-cell and long-distance movement of viruses. The TGB-based transport system exploits the co-ordinated action of three polypeptides to deliver viral genomes to plasmodesmata and to accomplish virus entry into neighbouring cells. Although data obtained on both the TGB and well-studied single protein transport systems clearly demonstrate that plant viruses employ host cell pathways for intra- and intercellular trafficking of genomic nucleic acids and proteins, there is no integral picture of the details of molecular events during TGB-mediated virus movement. Undoubtedly, understanding the molecular basis of the concerted action of TGB-encoded proteins in transporting viral genomes from cell to cell should provide new insights into the general principles of movement protein function. This review describes the structure, phylogeny and expression of TGB proteins, their roles in virus cell-to-cell movement and potential influence on host antiviral defences.
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© 2003 SGM
This article is now available in the June 2003 print issue of JGV (vol. 84, 1351–1366). The complete issue of the journal may be seen in electronic form on JGV Online.
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