Division of Plant Sciences, National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Tsukuba 305-8602, Japan
Most viral gene products function inside cells in the presence of various host proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids. Thus, viral gene products come into direct contact with these molecules. The replication proteins of tobamovirus participate not only in viral genome replication but also in counterdefense mechanisms against RNA silencing and other plant defense systems. Accumulating evidence indicates that these functions are carried out through interactions with specific host components. Interactions with some cellular factors, however, are inhibitory to virus multiplication and contribute to host range restriction of tobamovirus. The interactions that have positive and negative impacts on virus multiplication should have been maintained and lost, respectively, during adaptation of the viruses to their respective natural hosts. This review lists the host factors that interact with the replication proteins of tobamovirus and discusses how they influence multiplication of the virus.
