%0 Journal Article %A Karsies, Aletta %A Merkle, Thomas %A Szurek, Boris %A Bonas, Ulla %A Hohn, Thomas %A Leclerc, Denis %T Regulated nuclear targeting of cauliflower mosaic virus %D 2002 %J Journal of General Virology, %V 83 %N 7 %P 1783-1790 %@ 1465-2099 %R https://doi.org/10.1099/0022-1317-83-7-1783 %I Microbiology Society, %X The mature cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) capsid protein (CP), if expressed in the absence of other viral proteins, is transported into the plant cell nucleus by the action of a nuclear localization signal (NLS) close to the N terminus. In contrast, virus particles do not enter the nucleus, but dock at the nuclear membrane, a process inhibited by anti-NLS antibodies or by GTPγS, and apparently mediated by interaction of CP with host importin α. The very acidic N-terminal extension of the viral CP precursor inhibits nuclear targeting of the protein and hence the precursor is localized in the cytoplasm. We hypothesize that this provides a control mechanism which ensures that the CP precursor is used for virus assembly in the cytoplasm and that only mature virus particles reach the nuclear pore. %U https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/0022-1317-83-7-1783