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Poster

Session: Session 2 Presenting Authors at Posters (Odds)

P-103 - A plant virus causes symptoms through the deployment of a host-mimicking protein domain to attract the insect vector

Wednesday, July 16, 2025
13:30 - 15:15  
Location: Confex Hall 3
Effector Interference Mechanisms

    Presenting Author(s)

  • MG

    Man Gao

    Post-doc
    Center for Plant Molecular Biology
    Tuebingen, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany

    • Author(s)

  • EA

    Emmanuel Aguilar

    Ramón y Cajal Researcher
    IHSM La Mayora (UMA-CSIC)
    Malaga, Andalucia, Spain

  • LM

    Laura Medina-Puche

    Department of Plant Biochemistry, Centre for Plant Molecular Biology (ZMBP), Eberhard Karls University
    Tubingen, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany

  • SP

    Shaojun Pan

    Department of Plant Biochemistry, Centre for Plant Molecular Biology (ZMBP), Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany
    Tuebingen, DE, GERMANY

  • HW

    Hua Wei

    Department of Plant Biochemistry, Centre for Plant Molecular Biology (ZMBP), Eberhard Karls University
    Tübingen, GERMANY

  • HT

    Huang Tan

    Department of Plant Biochemistry, Centre for Plant Molecular Biology (ZMBP), Eberhard Karls University
    Tubingen, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany

  • JD

    Juan Antonio Díaz Pendón

    OPI Senior Scientist
    Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea "La Mayora"
    Malaga, Andalucia, Spain

  • IO

    Irene Ontiveros

    Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea "La Mayora"
    Malaga, Andalucia, Spain

  • EB

    Eduardo R. Bejarano

    Professor
    IHSM La Mayora (UMA-CSIC)
    Malaga, Andalucia, Spain

  • RL

    Rosa Lozano-Durán

    University of Tü​bingen
    Tübingen, GERMANY

Plant viruses are obligate intracellular pathogens which induce a range of structural and physiological alterations in the host, arising from both viral activity and its interaction with host cellular processes. These changes often manifest as visible disruptions in plant growth, recognized as disease symptoms. Despite their substantial economic impact, the molecular mechanisms governing symptom development and their biological functions remain largely elusive. Here, we show that symptom development in tomato plants infected by tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) is mediated by an interaction between the host-mimicking domain of the viral C4 protein and a family of RCC1-like domain-containing (RLD) proteins. C4 outcompetes an endogenous interactor of RLDs, hijacking RLD proteins to the plasma membrane and disrupting their function in orchestrating endomembrane trafficking and polar auxin transport. Strikingly, symptoms do not affect viral performance in the plant, but serve as attractants for the insect vector, presumably promoting pathogen spread in an ecological context. Our work uncovers the molecular basis and ecological significance of TYLCV-induced symptom development in tomato. Advancing understanding of symptom development will not only provide novel insights into viral manipulation of host physiology and virus-host-vector interactions, but also inform innovative strategies for disease management, contributing to agricultural sustainability and global food security.