Closteroviridae

Giovanni P Martelli, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
Thierry Candresse, UMR GDPP, Villenave d'Ornon, France

Published online: April 2010

DOI: 10.1002/9780470015902.a0000747.pub2

Closteroviridae is a family of plant viruses with filamentous, helically constructed particles showing distinct cross-banding and varying in length from 650 nm (species with fragmented genome) to over 2000 nm (species with monopartite genome). The genome is a single-stranded, positive-sense RNA (ribonucleic acid), with size varying from 13 000 to nearly 19 000 nucleotides, thus being among the largest known for plant viruses. The family comprises three genera, Closterovirus, Ampelovirus and Crinivirus, which differ in genome type (monopartite, bipartite or tripartite) and size, and in epidemiological behaviour. Closteroviruses are transmitted by aphids; ampeloviruses by pseudococcid mealybugs and soft scale insects and criniviruses by whiteflies. These viruses are mostly phloem-restricted, are all transmitted with a semipersistent modality regardless of the type of vector and are pathogenic to a wide range of herbaceous and woody crops, to which they may cause extensive damage. Control is based on preventive measures such as sanitary selection, sanitation and induction of resistance, primarily through conventional breeding.

Key concepts:

  • Closteroviridae is a growing family of plant viruses with three genera.
  • All members of the family have filamentous virions with open particle structures and distinct cross-banding.
  • Closteroviral genomes are among the largest for plant viruses and are highly diversified also within each genus.
  • The family represents a monophyletic lineage that has evolved in a modular way.
  • A characterizing trait of the genera is the type of vectors that mediate transmission from host to host.
  • Virus particles are primarily restricted to the phloem from where they are acquired by the vectors.
  • Virus dissemination over long distances is mediated by infected propagative material, rather than vectors.
  • Most members of the family have a restricted natural host range.
  • Many cause serious, if not devastating, epidemics to herbaceous and woody crops.
  • Disease control relies on preventive measures aimed at reducing vector populations and sources of inoculum.
  • Sanitary selection and sanitation are efficient means for producing certified stocks.

Keywords: taxonomy; plant viruses; filamentous virions; insect-transmitted pathogens; semipersistent transmission

Figure 1. Genome organization of the two representatives of the genus Closterovirus. (a) Beet yellows virus (BYV), the type species of the genus showing the relative position of the ORFs and their expression products. L-Pro, papain-like protease; MTR, methyltransferase; HEL, helicase; POL, RNA polymerase; p6, small hydrophobic protein; HSP70h, heat shock protein homologue; p64, product with some similarity with HSP90; CP, capsid protein; CPm, minor capsid protein, p20 product mediating systemic transport and p21, silencing suppressor, replication enhancer. The five-gene block conserved among most of the family members mediates cell-to-cell movement. (b) Citrus tristeza virus, showing the position and expression products of the ORFs. Abbreviations are the same as with BYV. ORFs are not drawn to scale.
Figure 2. Genome organization of Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3 and Mealybug wilt-associated virus 1, two representatives of the genus Ampelovirus with the largest and smallest genome, respectively, showing the relative position of the ORFs and their expression products. (a) GLRaV-3 genome. L-Pro, papain-like protease, MTR, methytransferase; AlkB, domain implicated in repair of RNA methylation damage; HEL, helicase; POL, RNA polymerase; p6 and p5, small hydrophobic proteins; HSP70h, heat shock protein 70 homologue; p55, product with some similarity with heat shock protein 90; CP, coat protein and CPm, minor coat protein. The function of the 3¢ proximal genes is largely unknown. (b) PMWaV-1 genome. Abbreviations are the same as above.
Figure 3. Genome organization of Lettuce infectious yellows virus, the type species of the genus Crinivirus showing the relative position of the ORFs and their expression products. RNA-1 encodes in the order: L-Pro, papain-like protease; MTR, methytransferase; HEL, helicase; p30 POL, RNA polymerase; p31, protein with unknown function. RNA encodes, in the order: p5, small hydrophobic protein; HSP70h, heat shock protein 70 homologue; p59, product with some similarity with heat shock protein 90; p9, unknown function; CP, capsid protein; CPm, minor capsid protein and p26, unknown function.
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Related Sub-Topics:

Viruses Infecting Plants | RNA Viruses | Plant Disease
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Article Title: Closteroviridae
 
How to Cite close
Martelli, Giovanni P, and Candresse, Thierry(Apr 2010) Closteroviridae. In: eLS. John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Chichester. http://www.els.net [doi: 10.1002/9780470015902.a0000747.pub2]