Is the Glycoprotein Responsible for the Differences in Dispersal Rates between Lettuce Necrotic Yellows Virus Subgroups?

Eko Y Prabowo; Gardette R Valmonte-Cortes; Toni Louise Darling; Elizabeth Buckley; Mark Duxbury; Brent Seale; Colleen M Higgins

doi:10.3390/v14071574

Is the Glycoprotein Responsible for the Differences in Dispersal Rates between Lettuce Necrotic Yellows Virus Subgroups?

Viruses. 2022 Jul 20;14(7):1574. doi: 10.3390/v14071574.

Authors

Eko Y Prabowo^{1

2}, Gardette R Valmonte-Cortes¹, Toni Louise Darling¹, Elizabeth Buckley¹, Mark Duxbury¹, Brent Seale¹, Colleen M Higgins¹

Affiliations

¹ School of Science, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland 1010, New Zealand.
² Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology Testing of Drugs and Food, The National Agency of Drug and Food Control, Jakarta 10560, Indonesia.

Abstract

Lettuce necrotic yellows virus is a type of species in the Cytorhabdovirus genus and appears to be endemic to Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ). The population of lettuce necrotic yellows virus (LNYV) is made up of two subgroups, SI and SII. Previous studies demonstrated that SII appears to be outcompeting SI and suggested that SII may have greater vector transmission efficiency and/or higher replication rate in its host plant or insect vector. Rhabdovirus glycoproteins are important for virus-insect interactions. Here, we present an analysis of LNYV glycoprotein sequences to identify key features and variations that may cause SII to interact with its aphid vector with greater efficiency than SI. Phylogenetic analysis of glycoprotein sequences from NZ isolates confirmed the existence of two subgroups within the NZ LNYV population, while predicted 3D structures revealed the LNYV glycoproteins have domain architectures similar to Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV). Importantly, changing amino acids at positions 244 and 247 of the post-fusion form of the LNYV glycoprotein altered the predicted structure of Domain III, glycosylation at N248 and the overall stability of the protein. These data support the glycoprotein as having a role in the population differences of LNYV observed between Australia and New Zealand.

Keywords: LNYV; cytorhabdovirus; glycoprotein; lettuce necrotic yellows virus; plant virus; rhabdovirus; virus–insect interaction.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Glycoproteins / genetics
Glycoproteins / metabolism
Phylogeny
Rhabdoviridae*
Viral Proteins* / genetics
Viral Proteins* / metabolism

Substances

Glycoproteins
Viral Proteins

Supplementary concepts

Lettuce necrotic yellows cytorhabdovirus

Grants and funding

This research was funded by Auckland University of Technology. Eko Yakso Prabowo was funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade with a New Zealand ASEAN scholarship in support of his studies. The APC was funded by MDPI as a full waiver of the publication charges.