Figures & data
Figure 1 Model of the process of infection by Poleroviruses. Poleroviruses are introduced into the phloem by feeding aphids having acquired virus on infected cells. The virus multiplies in companion and phloem parenchyma cells and circulates within the sieve tubes. In these cell types P0 inhibits RNA silencing by degrading AGO1. As siRNAs are not targeted by the virus, they may spread ahead of the infection front to the neighbouring cells (e.g., mesophyll cells) through the connecting plasmodesmata (P) and thereby immunize them against subsequent invasion by the virus. This immunisation process could be implicated in phloem restriction of poleroviruses. Encapsidation into virions would provide protection to the virus entering new phloem cells via the sieve tubes. vRdRp, virus-encoded RNA dependant polymerase; DCL, dicer-like protein; RISC, RNA Induced Silencing Complex; the SCFP0 complex contains an F-box protein (here P0), a SKP protein, a Cullin (CUL1) protein and a ring finger protein (RBX).
