SnRK1α Restricts Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus Infection by Targeting the Viral Silencing Suppressor NSs for 26S Proteasome-Mediated Degradation

Zhang, Xingwang; Yuan, Yulong; Liu, Qinhai; Zhang, Tianyi; Gao, Yuting; Zang, Shenghan; Tian, Jiwen; Lv, Anji; Li, Jia; Zhu, Min; Ji, Yinghua; Tao, Xiaorong; Feng, Mingfeng

doi:10.3390/agronomy16030284

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Open AccessArticle

SnRK1α Restricts Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus Infection by Targeting the Viral Silencing Suppressor NSs for 26S Proteasome-Mediated Degradation

by

Xingwang Zhang

^1,2

,

Yulong Yuan

^1,2,

Qinhai Liu

^1,2,

Tianyi Zhang

^1,2,

Yuting Gao

^1,2,

Shenghan Zang

^1,2,

Jiwen Tian

^1,2,

Anji Lv

^1,2,

Jia Li

^1,2

,

Min Zhu

^1,2,

Yinghua Ji

³,

Xiaorong Tao

^1,2

and

Mingfeng Feng

^1,2,*

¹

State Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Forestry Biosecurity, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China

²

Department of Plant Pathology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China

³

Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Agronomy 2026, 16(3), 284; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16030284

Submission received: 7 December 2025 / Revised: 14 January 2026 / Accepted: 22 January 2026 / Published: 23 January 2026

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Crop Antiviral Immunity and Viral Counter-Defense Strategies)

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Abstract

Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) is one of the most important plants segmented negative-strand RNA viruses (NSVs). Plants employ the ubiquitin–proteasome system (UPS) and autophagy pathways to degrade viral effector proteins, forming a key antiviral defense layer. SnRK1 functions as a central energy sensor and plays pivotal roles in plant growth and development, as well as immune defense. However, whether SnRK1 modulates the infection of plant segmented NSVs and the underlying regulatory mechanisms remains elusive. In this study, we found that nonstructural protein NSs, a viral suppressor of RNA silencing (VSR) encoded by TSWV, specifically interacts with the catalytic α subunit of host SnRK1 (SnRK1α). NbSnRK1α promotes the degradation of NSs via the 26S proteasome pathway, independently of autophagy. Transient silencing of NbSnRK1α led to increased accumulation of the NSs protein. Furthermore, we found that NbSnRK1α significantly impairs the VSR activity of NSs by promoting its degradation, thereby restoring the host’s RNAi-mediated antiviral defense. Subsequent viral infection assays confirmed that NbSnRK1α inhibits TSWV replication, whereas silencing NbSnRK1α enhances the susceptibility of Nicotiana. benthamiana to TSWV infection and facilitates systemic viral spread and disease symptom development. Our study uncovers a new antiviral defense case by which NbSnRK1α enhances host antiviral immunity through targeting a segmented negative-strand RNA viral effector for 26S proteasomal degradation, broadening the understanding of the NbSnRK1’s role in broad-spectrum antiviral defense.

Keywords: tomato spotted wilt virus; NSs; SnRK1α; plant-virus interaction; antiviral defense

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MDPI and ACS Style

Zhang, X.; Yuan, Y.; Liu, Q.; Zhang, T.; Gao, Y.; Zang, S.; Tian, J.; Lv, A.; Li, J.; Zhu, M.; et al. SnRK1α Restricts Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus Infection by Targeting the Viral Silencing Suppressor NSs for 26S Proteasome-Mediated Degradation. Agronomy 2026, 16, 284. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16030284

AMA Style

Zhang X, Yuan Y, Liu Q, Zhang T, Gao Y, Zang S, Tian J, Lv A, Li J, Zhu M, et al. SnRK1α Restricts Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus Infection by Targeting the Viral Silencing Suppressor NSs for 26S Proteasome-Mediated Degradation. Agronomy. 2026; 16(3):284. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16030284

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zhang, Xingwang, Yulong Yuan, Qinhai Liu, Tianyi Zhang, Yuting Gao, Shenghan Zang, Jiwen Tian, Anji Lv, Jia Li, Min Zhu, and et al. 2026. "SnRK1α Restricts Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus Infection by Targeting the Viral Silencing Suppressor NSs for 26S Proteasome-Mediated Degradation" Agronomy 16, no. 3: 284. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16030284

APA Style

Zhang, X., Yuan, Y., Liu, Q., Zhang, T., Gao, Y., Zang, S., Tian, J., Lv, A., Li, J., Zhu, M., Ji, Y., Tao, X., & Feng, M. (2026). SnRK1α Restricts Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus Infection by Targeting the Viral Silencing Suppressor NSs for 26S Proteasome-Mediated Degradation. Agronomy, 16(3), 284. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16030284

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SnRK1α Restricts Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus Infection by Targeting the Viral Silencing Suppressor NSs for 26S Proteasome-Mediated Degradation

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