RT Journal Article SR Electronic(1) A1 Jacquet, Christophe A1 Delecolle, Brigitte A1 Raccah, Benjamin A1 Lecoq, Hervé A1 Dunez, Jean A1 Ravelonandro, MichelYR 1998 T1 Use of modified plum pox virus coat protein genes developed to limit heteroencapsidation-associated risks in transgenic plants JF Journal of General Virology, VO 79 IS 6 SP 1509 OP 1517 DO https://doi.org/10.1099/0022-1317-79-6-1509 PB Microbiology Society, SN 1465-2099, AB Aphid transmission of a non-aphid-transmissible strain of zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV-NAT) occurs in transgenic plants expressing the plum pox potyvirus (PPV) coat protein (CP) gene. Hetero- encapsidation has been shown to be responsible for this modification in the epidemiological characteristics of the infecting virus. In order to prevent this biological risk, several modified PPV CP constructs were produced that were designed to interfere with heteroencapsidation itself or to block aphid transmission of heteroencapsidated virions. These constructs were first expressed in Escherichia coli in order to check for the accumulation of pseudo-particles by electron microscopy. Virus-like particles (VLPs) were found with the full-length CP and with a PPV CP lacking the DAG amino acid triplet involved in aphid transmission. However, no VLPs were observed with CP lacking R220, Q221 or D264, amino acids known to be essential for the assembly of other potyvirus CPs. Transgenic Nicotiana bent- hamiana lines expressing the different PPV CP constructs were infected with ZYMV-NAT. Aphid transmission assays performed with these plants demonstrated that the strategies developed here provide an effective means of minimizing the biological risks associated with heteroencapsidation., UL https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/0022-1317-79-6-1509