Tobacco vein banding mosaic virus 6K2 Protein Hijacks NbPsbO1 for Virus Replication

Chloroplast-bound vesicles are key components in viral replication complexes (VRCs) of potyviruses. The potyviral VRCs are induced by the second 6 kDa protein (6K2) and contain at least viral RNA and nuclear inclusion protein b. To date, no chloroplast protein has been identified to interact with 6K2 and involve in potyvirus replication. In this paper, we showed that the Photosystem II oxygen evolution complex protein of Nicotiana benthamiana (NbPsbO1) was a chloroplast protein interacting with 6K2 of Tobacco vein banding mosaic virus (TVBMV; genus Potyvirus) and present in the VRCs. The first 6 kDa protein (6K1) was recruited to VRCs by 6K2 but had no interaction with NbPSbO1. Knockdown of NbPsbO1 gene expression in N. benthamiana plants through virus-induced gene silencing significantly decreased the accumulation levels of TVBMV and another potyvirus Potato virus Y, but not Potato virus X of genus Potexvirus. Amino acid substitutions in 6K2 that disrupted its interaction with NbPsbO1 also affected the replication of TVBMV. NbPsbP1 and NbPsbQ1, two other components of the Photosystem II oxygen evolution complex had no interaction with 6K2 and no effect on TVBMV replication. To conclude, 6K2 recruits 6K1 to VRCs and hijacks chloroplast protein NbPsbO1 to regulate potyvirus replication.