RT Journal Article SR Electronic(1) A1 Cheng, Yu-Qin A1 Liu, Zhong-Mei A1 Xu, Jian A1 Zhou, Tao A1 Wang, Meng A1 Chen, Yu-Ting A1 Li, Huai-Fang A1 Fan, Zai-FengYR 2008 T1 HC-Pro protein of sugar cane mosaic virus interacts specifically with maize ferredoxin-5 in vitro and in planta JF Journal of General Virology, VO 89 IS 8 SP 2046 OP 2054 DO https://doi.org/10.1099/vir.0.2008/001271-0 PB Microbiology Society, SN 1465-2099, AB Symptom development of a plant viral disease is a result of molecular interactions between the virus and its host plant; thus, the elucidation of specific interactions is a prerequisite to reveal the mechanism of viral pathogenesis. Here, we show that the chloroplast precursor of ferredoxin-5 (Fd V) from maize (Zea mays) interacts with the multifunctional HC-Pro protein of sugar cane mosaic virus (SCMV) in yeast, Nicotiana benthamiana cells and maize protoplasts. Our results demonstrate that the transit peptide rather than the mature protein of Fd V precursor could interact with both N-terminal (residues 1–100) and C-terminal (residues 301–460) fragments, but not the middle part (residues 101–300), of HC-Pro. In addition, SCMV HC-Pro interacted only with Fd V, and not with the other two photosynthetic ferredoxin isoproteins (Fd I and Fd II) from maize plants. SCMV infection significantly downregulated the level of Fd V mRNA in maize plants; however, no obvious changes were observed in levels of Fd I and Fd II mRNA. These results suggest that SCMV HC-Pro interacts specifically with maize Fd V and that this interaction may disturb the post-translational import of Fd V into maize bundle-sheath cell chloroplasts, which could lead to the perturbation of chloroplast structure and function., UL https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/vir.0.2008/001271-0