All well-characterized positive-strand RNA viruses[(؉)RNA viruses] induce the formation of host membrane-bound viral replication complexes (VRCs), yet the underlying mechanism and machinery for VRC formation remain elusive. We report here the biogenesis and topology of the Beet black scorch virus (BBSV) replication complex. Distinct cytopathological changes typical of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) aggregation and vesiculation were observed in BBSV-infected Nicotiana benthamiana cells. Immunogold labeling of the auxiliary replication protein p23 and double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) revealed that the ER-derived membranous spherules provide the site for BBSV replication. Further studies indicated that p23 plays a crucial role in mediating the ER rearrangement. Three-dimensional electron tomographic analysis revealed the formation of multiple ER-originated vesicle packets. Each vesicle packet enclosed a few to hundreds of independent spherules that were invaginations of the ER membranes into the lumen. Strikingly, these vesicle packets were connected to each other via tubules, a rearrangement event that is rare among other virus-induced membrane reorganizations. Fibrillar contents within the spherules were also reconstructed by electron tomography, which showed diverse structures. Our results provide the first, to our knowledge, three-dimensional ultrastructural analysis of membrane-bound VRCs of a plant (؉)RNA virus and should help to achieve a better mechanistic understanding of the organization and microenvironment of plant (؉)RNA virus replication complexes. IMPORTANCE Assembly of virus replication complexes

Stress granules (SGs) are nonmembrane assemblies formed in cells in response to stress conditions. SGs mainly contain untranslated mRNA and a variety of proteins. RNAs and scaffold proteins with intrinsically disordered regions or RNA‐binding domains are essential for the assembly of SGs, and multivalent macromolecular interactions among these components are thought to be the driving forces for SG assembly. The SG assembly process includes regulation through post‐translational modification and involvement of the cytoskeletal system. During aging, many intracellular bioprocesses become disrupted by factors such as cellular environmental changes, mitochondrial dysfunction, and decline in the protein quality control system. Such changes could lead to the formation of aberrant SGs, as well as alterations in their maintenance, disassembly, and clearance. These aberrant SGs might in turn promote aging and aging‐associated diseases. In this paper, we first review the latest progress on the molecular mechanisms underlying SG assembly and SG functioning under stress conditions. Then, we provide a detailed discussion of the relevance of SGs to aging and aging‐associated diseases.

Chloroplasts are multifunctional organelles whose morphology is affected by environmental stresses. Although the three-dimensional (3D) architecture of thylakoid membranes has been reported previously, a 3D visualization of chloroplast under stress has not been explored. In this work, we used a positive-strand RNA ((+)RNA) virus, barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV) to observe chloroplast structural changes during infection by electron tomography. The analyses revealed remodeling of the chloroplast membranes, characterized by the clustering of outer membrane-invaginated spherules in inner membrane-derived packets. Diverse morphologies of cytoplasmic invaginations (CIs) were evident with spherules at the periphery and different sized openings connecting the CIs to the cytoplasm. Immunoelectron microscopy of these viral components verified that the aberrant membrane structures were sites for BSMV replication. The BSMV αa replication protein localized at the surface of the chloroplasts and played a prominent role in eliciting chloroplast membrane rearrangements. In sum, our results have revealed the 3D structure of the chloroplasts induced by BSMV infection. These findings contribute to our understanding of chloroplast morphological changes under stress conditions and during assembly of plant (+)RNA virus replication complexes.

Nine genera of viruses in five different families use triple gene block (TGB) proteins for virus movement. The TGB modules fall into two classes: hordei-like and potex-like. Although TGB-mediated viral movement has been extensively studied, determination of the constituents of the viral ribonucleoprotein (vRNP) movement complexes and the mechanisms underlying their involvement in vRNP-mediated movement are far from complete. In the current study, immunoprecipitation of TGB1 protein complexes formed during Barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV) infection revealed the presence of the γb protein in the products. Further experiments demonstrated that TGB1 interacts with γb in vitro and in vivo, and that γb-TGB1 localizes at the periphery of chloroplasts and plasmodesmata (PD). Subcellular localization analyses of the γb protein in Nicotiana benthamiana epidermal cells indicated that in addition to chloroplast localization, γb also targets the ER, actin filaments and PD at different stages of viral infection. By tracking γb localization during BSMV infection, we demonstrated that γb is required for efficient cell-to-cell movement. The N-terminus of γb interacts with the TGB1 ATPase/helicase domain and enhances ATPase activity of the domain. Inactivation of the TGB1 ATPase activity also significantly impaired PD targeting. In vitro translation together with co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP) analyses revealed that TGB1-TGB3-TGB2 complex formation is enhanced by ATP hydrolysis. The γb protein positively regulates complex formation in the presence of ATP, suggesting that γb has a novel role in BSMV cell-tocell movement by directly promoting TGB1 ATPase-mediated vRNP movement complex assembly. We further demonstrated that elimination of ATPase activity abrogates PD and actin targeting of Potato virus X (PVX) and Beet necrotic yellow vein virus (BNYVV) TGB1 proteins. These results expand our understanding of the multifunctional roles of γb and provide new insight into the functions of TGB1 ATPase domains in the movement of TGBencoding viruses.

HighlightCK2 phosphorylation of the TGB1 protein has a critical role in promoting barley stripe mosaic virus movement in monocots and dicots by affecting the interactions between TGB1 and TGB3 proteins.