Virology interests for the Maule Lab

•Factors regulating plant cell-to-cell communication

•Host transcriptional and biochemical responses tovirus infection

•Recessive resistance to potyvirus infection -------

Pea seed-borne mosaic virus(PSbMV; Potyvirus)

Natural resistance genes• Early ‘70s - natural resistance discovered in Ethiopian pea accessions• Recessive resistances to potyviruses clustered at multiple loci• Linkage group VI:

- PSbMV - P1 (sbm-1)- PSbMV - P4 (sbm-4)- PSbMV - L/P2 (sbm-3)- Clover yellow vein virus (cyv-2)- White lupin mosaic virus (wlv)

• Linkage group II:- PSbMV L1 (sbm-2)- Bean yellow mosaic virus (mo)- Bean common mosaic virus (bcm)- Pea mosaic virus (pmv)

Summary of research findings

• sbm1 and sbm11 are mutant alleles of eIF4E.

• The mutations lie in and around the m7G-cap –bindingpocket and interfere with cap-binding and proteintranslation in yeast.

• eIF4E as a susceptibility factor in pea has the unusualrole of trafficking with the virus from cell to cell and couldassist with virus cell-to-cell movement

Structure of VPg

Plochocka et al (1996)PNAS 93:12150

Opportunities for collaboration

• Exchange of information prior to publication

• Sharing of crystallographic experiences/expertise

Strategies for delivery

• Reagents for marker-assisted selection for crops

• Analysis of the molecular interaction between VPg and eIF4E - crystallisation of VPg and complex

• Prediction of resistance alleles for any potyvirus -host interaction, and identification using TILLING