Role of microtubules in the intracellular distribution of tobacco mosaic virus movement protein

Despite its central role in virus infection, little is known about the mechanisms of intracellular trafficking of virus components within infected cells. In this study, we followed the dynamics of tobacco mosaic virus movement protein (MP) distribution in living protoplasts after disruption of microtubules (MTs) by cold treatment and subsequent rewarming to 29°C. At early stages of infection, cold treatment (4°C) caused the accumulation of MP fused to green fluorescent protein (GFP) in large virus replication bodies that localized in perinuclear positions, whereas at midstages of infection, the association of MP:GFP with MTs was disrupted. Rewarming the protoplasts to 29°C reestablished the association of MTs with the replication bodies that subsequently spread throughout the cytoplasm and to the periphery of the cell. The role of MTs in the intracellular distribution of the MP also was analyzed by examining the distribution pattern of a nonfunctional mutant of MP (TAD5). Like MP:GFP, TAD5:GFP interacted with the endoplasmic reticulum membranes and colocalized with its viral RNA but did not colocalize with MTs. The involvement of MTs in the intracellular distribution of tobacco mosaic virus MP is discussed.