Characterization of Soybean Vein Necrosis Virus (SVNV) Proteins: Sequence Analysis of Field Strains and Comparison of Localization Patterns in Differing Cell Types

Abstract

Soybean vein necrosis virus (SVNV) is a persistent, propagative, ambisense-ssRNA virus in the genus Orthotospovirus transmitted by Nehydratothrips variabilis. In this study, five open reading frames (ORFs) (N, NSs, NSm, GN, and GC) were fused in frame to GFP for use in both plant and insect cells. N and NSs localize in plants to the cell periphery and nucleus. NSm causes cell death to plant cells but not in insect cells where cytoplasmic localization is seen. GN and GC glycoproteins localize to the membranes and accumulate with more cytoplasmic localization seen in insect cells. To understand SVNV in the field, we collected 33 samples expressing symptoms of SVNV. The N, NSs, and NSm ORFs were sequenced and amino acid mutations in each gene were seen. The findings of this study capture sequence changes which have occurred over the past fifteen years compared to the localization of proteins never before conducted.