Next Article in Journal
Myricetin Restricts the Syncytial Development Triggered by Nipah Virus Envelope Glycoproteins In Vitro
Next Article in Special Issue
TSWV Infection Differentially Reshapes the Symbiotic Microbiome of Two Frankliniella Thrips Species
Previous Article in Journal
Modulation of Plant Interactions with Whitefly and Whitefly-Borne Viruses by Salicylic Acid Signaling Pathway: A Review
Previous Article in Special Issue
Transcriptional Modulation of Plant Defense Genes by a Bipartite Begomovirus Promotes the Performance of Its Whitefly Vector
 
 
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
Article

Binding Specificity and Oligomerization of TSWV N Protein in the Western Flower Thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis

Major in Plant Medicals, School of Life Sciences, Gyeongkuk National University, Andong 36729, Republic of Korea
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Viruses 2025, 17(6), 826; https://doi.org/10.3390/v17060826
Submission received: 22 April 2025 / Revised: 3 June 2025 / Accepted: 5 June 2025 / Published: 7 June 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Virus–Insect Interactions, 2nd Edition)

Abstract

Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) is a highly destructive plant pathogen and transmitted by several thrips including the western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis. A structural N protein encoded in the viral genome represents the nucleocapsid protein by binding to the viral RNA genome. However, it remains unknown how the RNA-binding protein specifically interacts with the viral RNA from host RNAs in the target cells. To study the molecular basis of N function, we produced the protein in Escherichia coli and the resulting purified recombinant protein was used to investigate the protein–RNA interactions. The recombinant N protein migrated on agarose gel to the anode in the electric field due to its high basic isoelectric point. This electrostatic property led N protein to bind to DNA as well as RNA. It also bound to both single-stranded (ssRNA) and double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). However, when the total RNA was extracted from plant tissues collected from TSWV-infected host, the RNA extract using the recombinant N protein was much richer in the TSWV genome compared to that without the protein. To investigate the specificity of N protein to ssRNA, the three-dimensional structure was predicted using the AlphaFold program and showed its trimeric oligomerization with the binding pocket for ssRNA. This was supported by the differential susceptibility of N protein with ssRNA and dsRNA against RNase attack. Furthermore, a thermal shift assay to analyze the RNA and protein interaction showed that ssRNA strongly interacted with N protein compared to dsRNA. In addition, the N gene was expressed along with the multiplication of the viral RNA genome segments from the segment-specific fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis in different tissues during different developmental stages of the virus-infected F. occidentalis. These results suggest that the functional trimeric N proteins bind to the viral RNA to form a basic nucleocapsid structure at a specific virus-replicating compartment within the host cells.
Keywords: TSWV; replication; N protein; nucleocapsid; Frankliniella occidentalis TSWV; replication; N protein; nucleocapsid; Frankliniella occidentalis

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Khan, F.; Abdisa, E.; Shahmohammadi, N.; Kim, Y. Binding Specificity and Oligomerization of TSWV N Protein in the Western Flower Thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis. Viruses 2025, 17, 826. https://doi.org/10.3390/v17060826

AMA Style

Khan F, Abdisa E, Shahmohammadi N, Kim Y. Binding Specificity and Oligomerization of TSWV N Protein in the Western Flower Thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis. Viruses. 2025; 17(6):826. https://doi.org/10.3390/v17060826

Chicago/Turabian Style

Khan, Falguni, Eticha Abdisa, Niayesh Shahmohammadi, and Yonggyun Kim. 2025. "Binding Specificity and Oligomerization of TSWV N Protein in the Western Flower Thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis" Viruses 17, no. 6: 826. https://doi.org/10.3390/v17060826

APA Style

Khan, F., Abdisa, E., Shahmohammadi, N., & Kim, Y. (2025). Binding Specificity and Oligomerization of TSWV N Protein in the Western Flower Thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis. Viruses, 17(6), 826. https://doi.org/10.3390/v17060826

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop