Identification of whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) proteins interacting with Tomato leaf curl Bangalore virus coat protein gene using Y2H system

Abstract

Tomato leaf curl Bangalore virus (ToLCBV) (Geminiviridae) causes the economically important tomato leaf curl virus disease (ToLCVD), and is transmitted by the whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Aleyrodidae: Hemiptera). Successful transmission of the virus by the insect requires safe translocation of the virus through different barriers inside the vector. During the translocation, the viral coat protein will interact with many whitefly proteins, while a few of them are beneficial to virus (e.g. heat shock proteins) but some may be harmful (e.g. whitefly immune proteins). We carried out the yeast two hybrid (Y2H) assays to identify the proteins of the B.tabaci Asia 1 genetic group interacting with ToLCBV coat protein (CP). The Y2H assay initially identified a total of 425 putative interacting whitefly proteins on a low stringent selection media, and they were reduced to 324 when the yeast colonies were grown on a high stringent media, and of which about 274 colonies produced single bands in colony PCR experiments while the remaining colonies produced multiple bands. Further, high selection pressure assays confirmed a total of 102 whitefly proteins interacting with ToLCBV CP and these included the heat shock proteins (HSPs) 70kDa, GroEL, nucleoproteins, vitellogenins, apolipophorins, 40s ribosomal proteins, sorbitol dehydrogenase, dipeptidyl peptidase, E3 ubiquitin, annexin, GTP cyclohydrolase, tropomyosin, salivary secreted proteins, succinate dehydrogenase, lachesins, enolase and others. The identified proteins could be potential targets for novel whitefly control strategies such as using RNAi or insecticide target sites for developing future disease and whitefly control strategies.

Deciphering the Role of Virus Receptors in Plant–Virus–Vector Interactions

“…A recent study also found that tomato leaf curl Bangalore virus (ToLCBV) CP showed interactions with 102 distinct whitefly proteins (B. tabaci Asia 1). These proteins included HSP70, GroEL, enolase, nucleoproteins, lachesins, vitellogenin, succinate dehydrogenase, apolipophorins, salivary secreted proteins, 40s ribosomal proteins, tropomyosin, sorbitol dehydrogenase, GTP cyclohydrolase, dipeptidyl peptidase, annexin, E3 ubiquitin, and others [64]. Some of these proteins might be helpful for the virus and some favor the whiteflies.…”